Day 2 of Lent: Thursday – The Hurry in Us

Verse for reflection: “Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42:42

I love these women. They have issues—family issues. Jesus loved these women. (No, not like that.) I love that the gospel writers include several stories about these real women.

Our family had issues. When our oldest daughter started going to school, we struggled constantly with morning routine. She got ready in slow motion; I operated on fast-forward. Finally in exasperation I observed, “What’s wrong here is that all the hurry is in me. Don’t you realize what will happen if you’re late for the bus?”

So it was interesting to find that daughter number two, after only a few weeks of kindergarten, started watching the clock in the morning with all the worry of a fast-track executive. “Come on,” she’d tell her sister ten minutes before the bus was due. “The big hand is straight up and the bus is coming!” With that she’d hurry out the door.

Today, remarkably, her gifts in this area are put to good use in her real job.

We can’t escape a certain amount of fast-lane living. But we can make choices to tame the hurry in us. This daughter unwinds walking her dog after work. She jogs. She takes time for really long walks on Sunday afternoons. She digs in a small raised bed garden.

During Lent, we might want to get up ten minutes early to find time for solitude, talking with God to help control the hurry of the day. Time spent with God won’t be taken away from us. Ever. As my pastor reminded us yesterday at our Ash Wednesday service, “Give up busyness for Lent.”

Challenge: My pastor’s challenge was this: take ten minutes and do nothing. Can you do it?

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I invite you to join me on this journey through Lent (if you sign up to follow this blog it will be easier).

As a thank you, I can send you a FREE booklet I wrote several years ago, 14 Days to a Better You, which is a look at the classic 7 Vices and 7 Virtues. No obligation—just my way of connecting with blog followers a little better. Leave a comment and I’ll be able to see your email and follow up.