The Paradigm of Hurry

Today's post comes from the book "Good and Beautiful God" by James Bryan Smith. In the last chapter of the book, the author writes of a conversation between Dallas Willard and John Ortberg. The latter was asking the former what he should do about a new and challenging opportunity. The answer from Mr. Willard was, "ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." Wow, I had never thought of "hurry" being such a barrier to getting things accomplished, or to my relationship with God and others.

The phrase has continued to work in me (as truth so often does to us) and I have found that much of my life (both present and past) has been spent in a state of hurry. As an ICU practitioner, I was always in a state of accelerated pace, and early on I learned that in order to be effective in that environment I had to be calm while all around me the world was falling apart. Thus, I could be moving quickly but not in a rush - so to speak. I think this is where the admonishment, "haste makes waste" comes from. "Keeping your head while all about you are losing theirs" is a quality of the most effective ICU practitioners - and other leaders.

The peaceful center did not emerge in my spiritual life until just recently. The concept of quiet contemplation leading to directed and purposeful action is now a focus of what I do in my role as Founder and EVP of Possibilities Journey, Inc (www.possjrny.org). If I'm not spending time in prayer and preparation, in discernment about focus and path, then I will be pushed around by the capricious worldly winds. If I can not find the place to trust that the spiritual "nudge" I'm feeling is of God, then I can not trust that "all manner of things shall be well" (Julian of Norwich).

So, for the rest of the week, and for the upcoming season of Advent, I wish for you the ability to "ruthlessly elminate hurry from your life". Don't rush from one party and event to another or from buffet to buffet. Don't rush to be the first one to the open bar or to the car after drinking too much. Don't rush around the shopping malls or internet spending without a purpose and a plan. Eliminate all sense of hurry - cultivate peace in your center and move outward from there. Spend time at the beginning and end of each day in prayer and thanksgiving.

May you move purposefully without hurry.

Peace,
Dan