Slow Down and Gather

One of the greatest temptations of modern life is doing more.  People are so busy.  We convince ourselves it is because we must be.  And sometimes we’re right.  But sometimes we are simply afraid of slowing down and having real, quality time with the people we love. 

In Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living, Shauna Niequist writes, “It's easy to be liked by strangers. It's very hard to be loved and connected to the people in your home when you're always bringing them your most exhausted self and resenting the fact that the scraps you're giving them aren't cutting it.”
God wants more for our lives. 

“Work six days. The seventh day is a Sabbath, a day of total and complete rest, a sacred assembly. Don’t do any work. Wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to God.” Leviticus 23:3 The Message

Complete rest is a Sabbath to God.  But God is often tricky in how He helps us do what is best for us.  Think about what happens when we slow down and put aside work.  God commands us to worship, reflect on God’s goodness and the things that matter most.  But, the slowly flowing hours also allow us to spend time with those dearest to us, to play games that keep us humble or to develop a hobby we can share with our grandchildren. 

The “don’t do any work” part of that scripture has gotten much more notice than the “sacred assembly” part.  Slow down and gather.  Gather with your family of faith.  Gather with your family of birth.  Gather with your family of friends and give those gatherings the slow attention that holiness demands. 

To read more about slowing down, consider reading Shauna Niequist's:

Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living