Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:5-7

I am trying on a new mantra. I’m still working on the exact wording, but the general idea is along the lines of, Chill; slow down; take a long deep breath; decompress; stop and smell the coffee….

What I’m talking about is – essentially – the idea of stretching time. Time is not, I believe, a predictable, linear entity, comprised of discrete, evenly-spaced, quantifiable increments. Time is better understood as flexible, malleable, pliable and tractable.

Time hardens to the extent that we become slaves to hurry; it is more plastic when we give it space and listen instead to our spirits.

Time hardens to the extent that we become slaves to hurry.

Spirit in tune:

I am not suggesting that we arrive late, keep other people waiting, or miss appointments. What I am talking about is cramming less in, in the manner that a 1,500 square foot home modestly furnished is actually more spacious than a 4,000 square foot home crowded to the gills with clutter.

This morning, for example, I left ten minutes early to meet a friend for coffee in Wake Forest. I parked the other end of downtown so I could walk, without hurry, to our appointment. Then, rather than drive, I sauntered over to CVS to pick up a pharmacy order. By the time I made it home, I had less measurable time to complete my next writing assignment but more productive time because my spirit was in tune and relaxed.

If I wake up in the morning so concerned about a deadline that I skip my devotional discipline with God, I may end up with more available minutes and seconds “on the clock” – but I am compromised in my connection to eternal time, and it is there that creativity and wisdom and fluency find their voice.

From Clutter to Clarity:

So I am determined to move away from clutter and into clarity. God is not honored in my ability to cram in quantity, but in my willingness to step into the Spirit’s flow.

Of course, this is going to look different depending on who you are and how you are processing God’s call on your moment-by-moment living. As for me, I am trying on a new mantra. I’m still working on the exact wording, but the general idea is along the lines of, Chill; slow down; take a long, deep, breath; decompress; stop and smell the coffee….

Peace, in every way – DEREK