The Unhurried Place

Pedal to the metal. That’s the pace of our culture. I’ve found myself getting frustrated on the freeway when the car in front of me is only going five miles over the speed limit. They’re already speeding, but it’s still not fast enough. Look no further than the phone in your hand. There have been hundreds of millions of dollars spent on research to overly stimulate us into a form of dependency.

My time in the morning is something I highly value. Three scrambled eggs along with my French Roast Peets coffee is intended to be paired with some worship music, Bible reading and intentional journal time. But I noticed something a few weeks ago. I was spending most of that time on my phone. I was distracted. An hour would pass without me doing much of anything.

I tried something new the other day. I left my phone in my room, went downstairs, and began my morning. Sitting outside, the birds were chirping. I could hear the rustle of the leaves. Things seemed slower – more peaceful even. I grabbed my journal and began to write. There was a depth to my being that I was beginning to tap in to. Prayerfully considering my words, I sank into a place of communion with the Lord.

The Psalmist understood this when he wrote these words down from the Lord, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). It made sense to me, it was stillness that was allowing me to connect with the Lord.

Spiritual formation is a topic that’s experiencing a resurgence in the church today. However, it was a common theme throughout the early church. Much of spiritual formation brings to light the reality of our soul – the deepest part of our being.

I remember being asked a few years back, “how’s your soul doing?” I had no idea. I barely knew what I wanted to eat for lunch, let alone the health of the deepest part of myself. This picture came to mind in my quiet time. Our being is like a funnel and our capacity or ability to access is like a ball. As the funnel spins, the ball begins to circle around the inside. The faster the funnel spins, the higher up the ball travels.

The higher portions of the funnel represent our primal needs – food, shelter, energy levels. The deeper areas of the funnel show us things related to our emotional and spiritual health. So many of us are functioning at such a hurried level that the ball of our capacity is only touching our basic needs.

We get questions like: how’s your soul? What have you been praying about lately? Where’s God moving in your life? And we’re left with shrugged shoulders and question marks. What I found in my short time this morning was a slower pace. It was as though the funnel began to slow its spin and my capacity was able to fall a level or two deeper.

Here I was able to touch and feel and experience the deeper places. The unhurried pace was where I began to connect with the Lord in prayer. Friend, it’s not the need for new practices or fancy words, it’s simply slowing down without distraction that opens up the deeper parts of us.  

Are you willing to give this a shot? Maybe this looks like going outside for a 10-minute walk and leaving your phone behind. Or sitting in your favorite chair and taking a few deep breaths. God desires for us to know Him. He meets us in our deeper places, past the primal, ever-changing instincts we carry. Find ways to slow the funnel and as your capacity for depth begins to grow, prayerfully invite the Lord to meet you. See what happens as He encounters you in your unhurried place.