We had a rough morning on Saturday. They’ve happened before. Penny sobbing, William banging something, me about to yell at them. And all of it a result of trying to get out of the house and into the car. 

I was afraid this morning would be more of the same. I had a little over an hour for breakfast, the bathroom routine, and getting both kids dressed, plus packing a bag with everything we’d need for a morning that included a trip to the optician, ballet class, and our favorite local diner for lunch. My strategy this morning was simple: don’t hurry. Even though the clock will be ticking. Even though it can feel infuriating when Penny and William decide that running around naked is more fun than getting dressed. Don’t hurry. 

It worked. We got out the door in time, and I only got stern once. No threats. No tears. No yelling. And no need to hurry. 

I received an email newsletter from the Trinity Forum this week, where Cherie Harder made a deeper spiritual point about the consequences of rushing through life. She writes:

When people ask [our Senior Fellow Dallas Willard] how to grow spiritually, he answers: “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life, for hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our world today.”

It is such an enemy in part because it distracts us. Most people “pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it,” as Søren Kierkegaard wrote in 1843. We can become so self-focused, working to keep our lives under control, that we lose contact with all that makes life good. Hurry can also be seen as a manifestation of the sin of pride. It is a result of trying to rely on our own capacities and refusing to recognize the truth that life itself–let alone the good life–is beyond us, however efficient we are. (Click here to read the whole newsletter–well worth it…)

It’s not easy to slow down. But it is life giving. Joy providing. And it makes me enjoy our children a whole lot more.