Saturday, August 28, 2004
Hurry is my enemy. I mean it. So much of life can be missed out on spiritually as I get caught up in busyness. I can even spiritualize it. I was convicted by some words by John Ortberg about how he, like me, experienced hurry.
Not long after moving to Chicago, I called a wise friend to ask for some spiritual direction. I described the pace of life in my current ministry. The church where I serve tends to move at a fast clip. I also told him about our rhythms of family life: we are in the van-driving, soccer-league, piano-lesson, school-orientation-night years. I told him about the present condition of my heart, as best I could discern it. What did I need to do, I asked him, to be spiritually healthy? Long pause.
"You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life," he said at last. Another long pause.
"Okay, I’ve written that one down," I told him, a little impatiently. "That’s a good one. Now, what else is there?" I had many things to do, and this was a long-distance call, so I was anxious to cram as many units of spiritual wisdom into the least amount of time possible.
Another long pause.
"There is nothing else," he said. "You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life."
I’ve concluded that my life and the well-being of the people I serve depends on following his prescription, for hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. Hurry destroys souls.
John Ortberg, "Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry," LeadershipJournal.net (7-4-02)
Lately, words like this (and a conversation with my Son David) causes me to give pause to such thoughts. I need to think more about this? Do you?
Not long after moving to Chicago, I called a wise friend to ask for some spiritual direction. I described the pace of life in my current ministry. The church where I serve tends to move at a fast clip. I also told him about our rhythms of family life: we are in the van-driving, soccer-league, piano-lesson, school-orientation-night years. I told him about the present condition of my heart, as best I could discern it. What did I need to do, I asked him, to be spiritually healthy? Long pause.
"You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life," he said at last. Another long pause.
"Okay, I’ve written that one down," I told him, a little impatiently. "That’s a good one. Now, what else is there?" I had many things to do, and this was a long-distance call, so I was anxious to cram as many units of spiritual wisdom into the least amount of time possible.
Another long pause.
"There is nothing else," he said. "You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life."
I’ve concluded that my life and the well-being of the people I serve depends on following his prescription, for hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. Hurry destroys souls.
John Ortberg, "Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry," LeadershipJournal.net (7-4-02)
Lately, words like this (and a conversation with my Son David) causes me to give pause to such thoughts. I need to think more about this? Do you?
