MANY years ago, much before the invention of the cell phone, there were many moments you could have a break. Take travelling in a local train; it was so different! You jumped into the compartment, got a seat for yourself if you were lucky, and then as the carriages rolled along you felt yourself being soothed into a different world with the gentle rhythmic movement of the train, its familiar whistle as a station approached and the quiet chatter that the rails had with the wheels.
It was so restful. But today with the cell phone there are hardly any moments of peace anymore and we get so caught up with rushing and pushing and getting things done that suddenly we find we’re not just tired but also feeling a little depressed. It happened to me a few weeks ago, when caught in the whirlpool called life, I found myself going down. “Quieten your heart!” I gently told myself.
A group of Americans made a trip with Brazilian native loaders down the Amazon River. The first day they rushed. The second day they rushed. The next day they rushed. One day, anxious to continue the trek, they were surprised to find the natives seated together in a circle. When asked the reason for the delay, a guide answered, “They are waiting. They will not move further until their souls have caught up with their bodies!”
Sounds logical, still yourself, sit down and be quiet, stop getting hassled. You owe it to yourself to quieten your heart and let your soul catch up with you. Here are some words from an anonymous writer I’ve treasured for years that I’d like to share: Slow me down Lord. Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.
Steady my hurried pace. Give me, amidst the day’s confusion, the calmness of the everlasting hills. Slow my pace, Lord. Slow my life. Come sit by me at the well. I am exhausted. Break the tension of my nerves and muscles with the soothing music of singing streams that live in my memory. Give rest to my heart; bring calm to my feelings. Give me these hours the leisure to be still that I savor the quiet of rolling hills, tasting the presence of the Divine. Bring me from the running of the day and the doing of the duties to the sitting in the evening to know the reward of being.
Teach me to slow down, to look at a flower, to chat with a friend, to read a few lines from a good book. Let me look up at the branches of the towering oak and know that … it grew slowly … and well. Slow me down Lord, quieten my heart today..!
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