“Hurry rushes toward the destination and fails to enjoy the journey.”
Alan Fadling, An Unhurried Life
If you happen to know my dad very well, then perhaps we can agree on the fact that you likely have rarely, if ever, witnessed the man being in a hurry. The only circumstance where I recall my dad ever having a “hurry” button seemed to be when traveling and his desire to move from point A to point B (or an encounter between a wasp nest and a lawnmower, but that’s another story)! What little conversation you might have overheard on our childhood road trips (other than sibling arguments from the back seat) might have sounded similar to this, “Look outside the right side of the Ford Econoline windows and you will see the Grand Canyon. Isn’t it big?! Now, how many miles to where we are camping? And what was the price of fuel back there?” It didn’t matter that those of us in back couldn’t see out the blue velvet curtains attached to the tinted side windows. (Maybe that was the GMC van). Anyway, the point is that some people can become so focused on the destination that they miss the journey along the way.
In reality, my experience has been that my dad is usually willing to stop and indulge my desire to take numerous photos, granted you provide him enough time to slow down the RV and find a convenient pullout. (Some of the best Alaska mountain scenes were always behind us). However, you must ask, as he will likely be comfortable to drive right on by, content to experience the journey in his own way. After 80 years on this earth, he’s earned the right to an Unhurried Life, and perhaps his longevity is connected to the slower pace that he embraces; an approach that more of us in this country might consider if we desire to live a flourishing life.
Two great resources that I highly recommend concerning the pace of life come from Alan Fadling’s An Unhurried Life and John Mark Comer’s The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, which I’m certain will provide many future posts in addition to this one. Fadling is quick to remind us “that God’s great commandment to us isn’t “Get more things done,” but to love him with the whole of our energies, capacities and passions and to extend that love to others.” Encouraging us instead to develop a Habit of Margin, Fadling offers, “We fail to realize how weary and distracted this filled-to-the-brim life makes us. We can get more things done than ever before, but few people would argue that this has made life more meaningful.”
If my desire is to live a flourishing life, as measured by Scripture and not culture, perhaps this means that I must Trust and Obey God’s two great commandments: love Him and love others. Feasibly, there will be moments when I’m asked not to delay and be the First to Help when following these commands; however, like Fadling, “I’m learning, as I watch Jesus’ unhurried way, that keeping in step with him, living with him at a walking pace, is a way to sink into and enjoy the abundant life in him that he wants me to know…If we are followers of an unhurried Savior, what should our pace of life look like?”
According to Carlos Whitaker, “The average pace of a human being when they walk is three-miles per hour…We were created to exist at a 3-mph pace…Take a look at your life – is there anything that moves at three miles-per-hour? The answer is probably no…Jesus’ ministry was at three miles-per-hour. Jesus walked from town to town, city to city, and He moved at three mph and we’re wondering why we can’t hear the voice of God…The way to catch up to the voice of God is not by speeding up, it’s by slowing down.”
Contrast my dad’s Unhurried Life with my own proud-to-walk-4-mph life and there may be a few lessons God is attempting to Teach Me about Taking It Slow. Do you have any stories to share of someone in your life who lives more like Jesus and is choosing an Unhurried Life? Please share in the comments below.
References:
Comer, J.M. (2019). The ruthless elimination of hurry. Waterbrook.
Fadling, A. (2013). An unhurried life: Following Jesus’ rhythms of work. Westmont, IL: IVP Press.
Whitaker, C. (2020, September 5). “Enter Wild.” [Audio podcast]. Fresh Life Church. Retrieved from http://www.freshlife.church/messages/message.php?id=1173
Flourishing @ Life 
I absolutely loved this post! I think that especially in todays day and age, we tend to hurry through things in order to get to the next thing. Even as a college student, although all the activities and different things may be fun and enjoyable, I often catch myself feeling rushed in everything that I do in order to get the next thing done. Someone who I so admire for never doing this was my Mimi. She passed away just over a month ago, so as we reminisced on her life, I was reminded of just how precious each moment was to her and how well she went at life with her own “thee miles per hour” pace.
-Sydney Hunter
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My reading of this post is well-timed as I just finished a conversation about how busy I have made myself lately. In the conversation, we both agreed that the business we put ourselves in was not helping us to achieve much, but was leaving us both at the end of the day wondering what we had done to further pursue a flourishing life. Enjoying the journey is something I have often neglected, but when I have taken the time to slow down have always enjoyed it. This post is very encouraging and challenging. Thank you for taking the time to write this and share your story.
– Charlie Brinkley
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I thought this post struck how I feel about my current life. I’m always in a hurry to get the next thing I have to do done or try to fit so many things all in a day. My family is currently planning a trip to the Grand Canyon on fall break and our schedules for the days we are there are packed. There isn’t a lot of time to just slow down and really enjoy God’s creation. After reading this post, I think I will tell my family to slow down and take in our surroundings. Life is about the memories not how much you can make in one day.
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With this new phase of my life happening right now, I find myself rushing through each day. This post made me realize how much God has given me, and how much I need to take time and appreciate it.
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This is such a good reminder for Christians. In a world that praises productivity, progress, busyness, and a fast paced life, we need to remember to slow down. I once heard someone say that God cares more about the journey than the destination because He cares more about the posture of your heart and how well you trust Him to get you to the place you’re headed. I love that your dad was such a good example for you of this. For me, my grandma was this person for me. She is someone who savors life’s little moments and does not mind being late to events if it means she is staying present and noticing the beauty of the here and now. I am thankful for the people that remind me to be grateful for slow days because those are the days God has more room in our lives to display His goodness.
Thanks for sharing your story!
– Lydia Cyrus
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I loved this post! I feel like I have been so busy that I have been running non-stop recently. It is hard to remember to slow down every once in a while and look around at the beauty God has created. My dad also lives a very unhurried life, while my mom is always running around. It is interesting to see the difference between these two. This post caused me to really think about my life, especially because I tend to be more like my mom as I rush through life. I really like that you asked “If we are followers of an unhurried Savior, what should our pace of life look like?” I think this is such an important question because if we follow an unhurried Lord, then we should not always rush.
-Shelby Breece
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As soon as a saw the title of this blog post, I knew I needed to read it! Life has felt very hectic over the past few weeks, and I keep telling myself things like “After this assignment is done, I can finally rest” or “Once I graduate, I can finally slow down.” However, there will always be something to distract me from the rest God intended for us. This post was such a good reminder that a heart of peace is something we must take the time to cultivate.
The story of your father reminds me of my mother. She works a full-time job and a part-time job, yet she always makes sure to carve out some to rest in her busy schedule. She gets up an hour early every morning to read the bible, journal, and pray. Because she takes the time to rest and refuel herself, she is able to put 100% into everything she does. She is a huge inspiration to me!
-Sydney Coffman
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