Slow Me Down Lord

December 14, 2018 • 12 Comments

Two years ago, after my brother passed away, this poem was found in his car. A close friend had it framed for G-Man and I. As my head was racing with the long list of ‘to do’ items and what to blog this week, I looked up and read...

Slow me down Lord! Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind. Steady my harried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time. Give me, amidst the confusion of my day, the calmness of the everlasting hills.

Break the tension of my nerves with the soothing music of the sighting streams that live in my memory. Help me to know the magical restoring power of sleep.

Teach me the art of taking minute vacations of slowing down to look at a flower; To chat with an old friend or make a new one; To pat a stray dog. To watch a spider build a web; To smile at a child; Or to read a few lines from a good book.

Remind me each day that the race is not always to the swift; that there is more to life than increasing its speed. Let me look upward into the branches of the towering oak tree and know that it grew slowly and well.

Slow me down Lord. And inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life’s enduring values that I may grow toward the stars of my great destiny. ~Orin L. Crain

Thanks Tuck.

Anyone else need reminding to ‘slow down’? And I also love the reminder that I'll need God's help. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below (and don’t forget to check back for my reply). And if you enjoy reading this blog, please share it with your friends and encourage them to subscribe.

Click Here to SUBSCRIBE

Comments

Mags

Oh my goodness readers, thank you for all of your responses.

In order....

Synne, best of luck with your new podcast.
It is flagged in my 'to do' folder and I'm really looking forward to listening.
Here's the link again: YoU TiMe https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjpych7Z3mqmLPwF2YJgL7g

Tracy, so happy this post resonated with you.

Kevin, thank you for sharing this.
I love the "walk slow, talk slow, eat slow, BE slow", that completely takes it to another level and is EXTREMELY helpful.

I received a private message from a friend and blog subscriber in Washington state who was literally, sleepless in Seattle.
She shared with me that she read the poem over and over again as a kind of meditation to find a calm place for herself.
Great idea, thank you.

Beate, thank you so much for supporting the blog.
And a very Merry Christmas to you and your family as well.

BT, sounds like you weren't the only one who needed this message.
Yes, thank you, thank you Tucker.

Another private message was from a family member who keeps the poem (that we had printed for Tucker's service) in his coat pocket and reads it from time to time. It's kind of the perfect poem for that...just put it somewhere and you'll notice it when you most need its message.

Daniel, you are so right, this isn't the only time of year we need these words. As you'll read in next week's post, this is something I need CONSTANT reminding of. Thanks DS~

Con, that makes me so happy! Thank you for sharing buddy.

Meghan, this balance between "doing" and "being" can be a constant duel, right? I think the most important thing is just to be thoughtful about what the "doing" is "doing" to me. And please send my love to your team as well. Have a very Merry Christmas.

Richard, great, great advice. That's actually why I love when someone's running late...I LOVE that unanticipated downtime to be still. But, I'm also very grateful for my planned downtime as well.

Bill, thank you.

Another private message reminded me of the importance of friendship.
God often speaks to me through the needs of others.
It's so helpful for me to stop the madness of my life to just help out or lend support to a friend or family member in need.
Thanks for the reminder.

Peter, thank you, as always, for taking the time to share your appreciation. I love you~

Peter(non-registered)

Thank-you Tucker; wise words and sentiments to live by. And than-you Megan and Greg for sharing them.. They seem particularly timely and appropriate now,

Bill(non-registered)

Nice reminder at this time of year. Sorry for your loss of your brother..

RICHARD(non-registered)

SLOW DOWN BE STILL, AT LEAST ONCE A DAY. LIFE IS TO SHORT.

Meghan(non-registered)

This hits home so hard here. Time just seems to spin so fast sometimes that I often find myself, at the end of the week, asking what had I missed. It is so important to stop and just “be” in the moment. Love to you all and may Goad bless you this Christmas season ❤️❤️

No comments posted.