Rush

One morning last week I was driving through a parking lot.  Just as I was passing an entrance a truck pulled into the lot so fast that I had to scoot out of the way.  As I accelerated around the corner of the building—now too fast for a parking lot—I was relieved to realize that there was no one in my path.  That relief then turned to frustration.  Why was that driver in such a hurry?  Why did I decide to join that rush?  

I like to start my mornings slowly.  I recently woke up to a day with a blank calendar and cold, rainy weather.  I love those slow starts but by 10AM, I was beginning to struggle.  I needed to be productive so I made a list of things I could do, figured out which ones I really should do, and got to it.  That evening, I realized that I had found a rare “sweet” spot.  I had accomplished quite a bit, but never once felt rushed.  

We live in a busy world.  It’s easy to get in a rush and it is hard to slow the pace.   Stillness is good, but it’s not healthy to “break” for too long.  We were created to be productive.  When we are in too much of a hurry, then it’s difficult to be ready for what we may face around the corner, and it can put those near us in a rushed state as well.

Pace is such a key ingredient to life, and we tend to snap back and forth between extremes.  I have seen far too many folks relax so comfortably that they forget the significance of healthy production.  I have also known many people who get so engaged in the rush that what they produce is unhealthy.  

We need to be out, discovering and accomplishing greatness. Inevitably someone in too much of a rush will push us and instinct will tell us to accelerate. Doing so is irresponsible and can produce unhealthy fruit.

““If you grow a healthy tree, you’ll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you’ll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree.”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12:33‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Be still, but don’t forget that God created us to be fruitful. There is much to be done and you will find Joy in being productive. While leaning into your fruitfulness avoid the rush. That rush will make things sloppy and less healthy for all.