Hurry Up and Slow Down

My first post from old notes on the spiritual disciplines comes regarding a discipline that I just can't get right. I've done a lot of things to get close to God over the past few years, but I've struggled mightily at forcing myself to do this one. Today's notes are regarding the practice of "slowing":

• You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.
• For many, the great danger is not that they will renounce their faith, but that they will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that they will settle for a mediocre version of it.
• Hurry will keep us consumed by "the cares and riches and pleasures of this life" and prevent Jesus' way from taking root in our hearts.
• Following Jesus cannot be done at a sprint. If you want to follow, you can't go faster that the one who's leading.
• Jesus often had much to do, but he never did it in a way that interfered with his ability to give love when love was called for.
• Love and hurry are fundamentally incompatible.
• Solitude is the one place where we can gain freedom from the forces of society that will otherwise relentlessly mold us.

Great thoughts for me personally as I trudge through my July grad class. There are seasons in life that require a quicker pace than others. I don't have a great answer in how to eliminate hurry during those times. But I do know those times cannot dominate our lives. Unfortunately, this pace has dominated mine for a long time.

**(all notes come from Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted)