Dear Friends,
Is it always this hectic as summer butts heads with fall or is it just my imagination? The slow pace of summer gives way to work and school schedules that demand our attention. Even as we reconcile ourselves to the annual speed up, we realize that it is only going to get busier. There are times when I come in the house at the end of my day, take off my shoes, put my feet up and prepare to relax when the phone rings. It’s a reminder of the meeting at 8 a.m. in the morning. Sigh.
As the days creep closer to the really busy Advent and Christmas season, I am determined to shop early so that I can enjoy the season. Of course, reality tempers my determination and I am lucky if I can find time to purchase groceries, let alone buy a present. Who am I kidding? So the days fly along from week to week and I do my best to catch up. Is this your experience as well? Poor us!
When things are so busy that I am having a hard time remembering my name, I thankfully remember a poem that brings me back into spiritual and physical control. You may have read or heard it. I offer it to all of us in our busy lives. For many folks, these days bring an emotional busy-ness that is composed of constant, soul draining worry. The poem, by Alfred Peterson, is a reminder that no matter what, God is with us. Take a deep cleansing breath, read and enjoy:
“Slow Me Down Lord”
by the quieting of my mind.
Steady my hurried pace
with a vision of the eternal march of time.
Give me amid the confusion of the day,
the calmness of the eternal hills.
Break the tension of my nerves and muscles
with the soothing music of the singing streams
that live in my memory.
Help me to know the magical restoring power of sleep.
Teach me the art of taking MINUTE vacations,
of slowing down to look at a flower,
to chat with a friend,
to pat a dog,
to read a few lines of a good book.
Slow me down Lord
and inspire me to send my roots
deep into the soil of life’s enduring values
that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.
Affectionately,
Adrianne Carr