Slowing Down

Ryan and I enjoyed our vacation so very much. But the whole time we were gone, we knew that upon our return, we were going to hit the ground running. So. Very. Much. You've seen the people in the gym who turn their treadmills on to the fastest settings and then hop on? That was us returning to work. 

Our new team members moved in while we were gone, and we've been working to train them so we can shift back to sharing the work load again. They're learning quickly, and we are looking forward to taking a weekend in a few days. It will be our first time away since we came back, and we're so excited for it. I have grand plans to stay in my jammies all day and scrapbook. 

But for this middle time, the days are very long. There are all the things we plan and then all the things we can't plan but still have to work through. There are new relationships to build. Things in the building to repair. A variety of things to prepare before more new tenants move in. Errands. Meetings. Training. Conversations. Answering questions. Anticipating questions. 

Yesterday I was driving one of our tenants to an appointment, and we had to stop for a train. We arrived at the tracks just as the arms were sliding down to welcome the train. And trains around here are legendary in length. You might as well just put the car in park, because you're going to be there for a while. 

At last, the train passed, and we crossed the tracks and continued on our merry way. We hadn't gone too far when a guy in an old van pulled right out in front of me and then proceeded to drive v.e.r.r.r.r.y. slowly. I didn't want to pass him because that road has a lot of Amish traffic on it, and it's not unusual for a bike or buggy to just appear from nowhere. 

I slowed down and did my best to maintain a positive and exemplary attitude with the tenant sitting beside me. She giggled as I tapped on the steering wheel and said something like, "Oh bless you, little van!" 

Then she said, "Maybe the Holy Spirit just wants you to slow down for a minute."

She's not wrong. We've been running...gulping in our quiet time far more quickly than we like. We've been running...not able to fully invest in relationships as much as we'd like. We've been running...you get the idea. 

I'm sure the Holy Spirit does need me to slow down a bit. He'll send trains and vans all day long if it lets me catch my breath. (It wasn't the last train I stopped for yesterday, either.) 

Slowing down is good for us. And maybe some of those "obstacles" in our path were meant to be there. You think?