Hurry Sickness

“If you could once make up your mind in the fear of God never to undertake more work of any sort
than you can carry out calmly and quietly without hurry and flurry – and the instant you find yourself growing nervous,
and like one out of breath,
you will find this simple common sense rule doing for you what no prayers or tears can accomplish.”
-Elizabeth Prentiss

This is what the Lord has been re-teaching me this week.

In a society filled with a plethera of amazing opportunities and incredible things to see and to accomplish … “better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.”

 

 

 

Better is a little done with righteousness.
Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house fulf of feasting and strife.
Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.

 

 

 

This is all from Scripture. Even though I desire a life void of hurry sickness, I still need these incredible reminders.
We still have two children who take regular naps {three, counting the baby}. Parenting proves one thing: children need rest. They need gentle schedules and a well-run home to rest within.  We all need an hour a day to sit for a cup of tea or a stack of Little Golden Books under a cozy blanket on mommy’s bed in the afternoon. We all need a slower pace.

 

“You should never tell a child to hurry up.
Hurry up is the absolute opposite of slowing down.
How many times have you said to your child in the last few days, ‘Hurry up!’ …
technology has caused us to even go faster.
Are you in too big of a hurry?Are you trying to do too many things?
When I talk about slowing down, I’m talking about not being so ambitious.
And helping your children understand what is their ambition toward.
Work with your hands. Be centered in a few things. It is very easy to be ambitious…”
-Donna Otto {Homemakers by Choice}

 

 

Slowing down will look different for various families. For our family, part of slowing down has been schooling at home. Also, we have sought music teachers who will come to the house to teach lessons. There is less rushing around, but still music being taught. We choose to limit our evening engagements or night time social gatherings (for this season) for all our sake.

I believe it’s counter-cultural to slow down. It will take determination to do opposite of what everyone else is doing.

“It takes courage to stop and say ‘no” … to be a family that chooses to be mindful…
living a quiet life, working with your own hands…”

And for now, I’m going to work on not saying “Hurry up!” to my children so often.
Will you join me?