Slow Enough to Listen

As a parent of two small children, I feel like I spend my days trying to get them to a move a little faster: to get dressed, get in the car, eat their dinner, get ready for bed. One of my favorite parenting bloggers lamented this fact in a recent post that reminded me that allowing children to move at their own pace is a good thing -- and it might even help me to be a bit calmer and more "in the moment" myself.

Not long after reading that blog entry, I came across this quote (thanks to an evotional from my friend Mark Ramsey at Grace Covenant Presbyterian in Asheville, NC):

"I urge you to still every motion that is not rooted in God. Become quiet, hushed, motionless until you are finally centered. Strip away all excess baggage and nonessential trappings until you have come into the stark reality of the presence of God. Let go of all distractions until you are driven into the Core."

- Richard Foster, from his book Freedom of Simplicity

What an important reminder that slowing down and taking a moment to anchor ourselves in the presence of God is not just a good thing for parents but for all of us who are God's beloved children. How many days do we go through the motions -- working our way through to-do lists, tackling each unexpected task that arises as it comes -- without ever taking a moment to revel in the awesome fact that what matters most is that we belong to God. May you find a moment today -- every day! -- to spend time in the presence of God and savor that truth.