“You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. There is a difference between being busy and being hurried. Jesus was often busy, but never hurried. Being hurried is a condition of the soul.” Dallas Willard

As a young mom I found myself hurrying our four sons from one thing to the next.  “Hurry up boys let’s get to church … Hurry up boy’s let’s get to school …  Hurry up guys it’s time for t-ball … Hurry Hurry Hurry.   Until one day the Lord arrested my heart and spoke to my soul as clearly as as the my morning alarm.  “Lisa, do not hurry your children.  Why is your calendar so full that you have to hurry your little boys from one thing to the next?  You don’t need to be a mama that hurries and you don’t need little boys that feel rushed.”   I’m so thankful that the Lord got my attention and I was able to scale back and enjoy the full but unhurried days of four little boys growing up in our home.

Before we know it our calendars will fill again – and we are back to rushing.  Like Dallas Willard said, We have to must “RUTHLESSLY” eliminate hurry from our lives.  It is an intentional proactive movement against the natural flow of lives filled with too much.   Priscilla Shirer describes this as room to Breathe.

This summer through some difficult days, I learned that my Heavenly Father doesn’t rush his children.  While battling overwhelming grief and confusion my soul was broken.  The Lord was so sweet not to hurry me in my healing.   He comforted me daily and allowed me the space and time to find healing from a great loss.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

Father, thank you for your whispers to slow down – to listen – to eliminate hurry.  Thank you for your patience as you bind up the broken hearted.  You are so kind.  Help us to resist the urge to fill our lives with so much that there is no “breathing room” for the soul to grow – flourish – and sometimes heal.