The Mountains Are CallingSample

Slowing Down to See the Good Stuff

No doubt about it! God is good . . . But I nearly missed it, missed seeing His goodness.

PSALM 73:1 THE MESSAGE

We see more when we slow down. When we walk or ride a bicycle through a neighborhood we’ve driven through a hundred times, we see details we’ve never noticed before. Slowing our pace opens our eyes. It’s a good reminder of how important it is to slow down—when we make decisions, when our schedules start to race out of control, and when we feel stress smothering the tranquility in our lives. God is good at teaching us to use the brakes. “Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for Him to act” (Psalm 37:7 TLB).

“God wants His loved ones to get their proper rest” (Psalm 127:2 TLB).

“Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings” (Psalm 116:7 THE MESSAGE).

“Relax, everything’s going to be all right; rest, everything’s coming together; open your hearts, love is on the way” (Jude 1:2 THE MESSAGE).

If we keep sprinting through our days, we’ll eventually get to a point when we stop and look back . . . but all we’ll see is a blur. We’ll realize we’ve missed too much of what was important and worried about too many things that weren’t. God knows that rest helps us retain our balance. He knows that slowing down encourages us to see opportunities we’re missing to love people, show kindness, and do things that light up the world. God also puts our priorities right in front of us. Where we are in our lives, what we do every day, and the people we’re here to love are perfectly in place. It’s up to us to pace ourselves in a way that values what God has given us. We won’t get a day back once it’s spent. Slow down and make sure to see every detail of His kindness in your life at this moment. We never want to hurry past the good stuff.

Dear God, Open my eyes to the priorities in my life. I don’t want to miss the love and purpose in them. Give me wisdom in keeping everything in balance so I invest my time in the right pursuits and the most important things.