SLOWING DOWN

Not too long ago my younger brother, who will remain nameless to prevent further ignominy, decided he needed a generator just in case his home lost power. So he went to The Home Depot, found the section containing said generator, and pulled it off the shelf immediately tearing his rotator cuff and a few other parts of his shoulder. He is now presently recovering from surgery to repair the damage.

There was an even greater damage in that foolish act, one to his ego. He thought he was 45 instead of 70. Our Mom, in her 80’s, used to look into the bathroom mirror and ask “Who is that old lady staring back at me?” Our bodies age much faster than do our minds, if we are so blessed. Yes, yes, yes, she was and we were thankful she remained sharp as a tack almost till the time she died at 96+. My 97-year-old mother-in-law? We can’t get anything past her either, thankful as we are.

Slowing down in body is part of aging. A friend of mine said to me years ago, “I feel like a 36-year-old with chronic fatigue syndrome.” So how did he live a happy and contented life? He did by pacing himself, realizing his limitations before they got him into trouble (unlike my brother). And mostly, he did so by being thankful he had lived a long and full life knowing that it was all grace – and had been for years – from here on in.

We live in a society, in a world, that is, for the most part, always in a hurry. It is more than slowing down and smelling the roses. It is about understanding that God gave and continues to give us this life as along as God so chooses to do so, and to relish and revel in it to the best of our ability. That means, in the words of an old song, “Slow down, you move too fast. You’ve got to make the moment last.”

Easier said than done, of course, especially because of the unseen and often intangible forces that are behind us pushing us to get moving – and the faster the better. But it can be done. It needs to be done. And it is not just for us older people. Everyone needs to slow down, perhaps especially the young, who seem to have boundless energy and no boundaries and thus get into more trouble that they should. We elders know that from personal experience.

No one knew this and was more aware of this need to slow down than Jesus. He was always being pushed to do more and move farther to meet all those needs others had of him. But he could not meet those needs if he first did not take care of himself, physically, mentally, spiritually. That’s why he always took the time to do so.

We are no different. And, again, age makes no difference. We all have the need to slow down, rest and reflect, not just to prevent us from trying to lift something we should never have tried in the first place, but simply to reflect on how well we are fulfilling and living out our present vocation, whatever that happens to be.