There are a few topics that keep me busy. Stress and haste, focus and priorities, gratitude and minimalism. I'm currently reading a good book: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. It's fun, educational, and practical. Actually, a topic for people who don't have time to read a book like this because they work too much. I have a rather quiet life and yet I am often too fast. It's in our culture and how we have learned it. As a young mom, you don't have enough time to shower and eat in peace. You get used to being fast. And you're getting faster and faster. Also, when shopping. (I admire the moms who don't get hurried by small children!) But now my kids are big and I'm still too fast. Something that you have trained so well, you have a hard time unlearning. I have to consciously retrain it.
A few days ago, I intentionally took Jesus with me to go shopping. He sat next to me in the passenger seat, we talked. He bought me a nice sweater. Told me that I don't have to look at everything, but just take it and enjoy. It was relaxed and effective. We couldn’t get everything on the list because some things weren't available, but it was good.
What is actually the reason for shopping stress? To want to do as much as possible as cheaply as possible as quickly as possible. Find the best at the best price. And then be done with shopping, because actually I prefer going to the woods to going to the mall. In any case, you can waste far too much time looking for the right thing. Especially if you want it to be a bargain. It doesn't have to be perfect. And I want to enjoy what God gives us. Not immediately chase the next. That's what´s rushing us, I think. That you can't take the time to enjoy what's there now, but that you already think about the next thing on your list. I want to learn to walk slowly. And when I notice my hurry to consciously throttle myself. I'm also much nicer when I'm not in a hurry. And there is no need to hurry at all. (Unless it's a real emergency, but they're rare.) It's slowly getting better. I'm learning to say no, I know myself better now than I used to, and I know what's good for me. I don't need it all.
I also like the famous story of the fisherman and the businessman. The fisherman works enough to live a simple life, but the businessman wants to convince him to work more and invest in larger boats and employees to earn more. To the fisherman's questions as to why he should do all this, the businessman finally gives him the answer that he can then enjoy his life and retire to go fishing and relax. So true! So many people in our society seem to live for the future. They push all their wealth and longings into retirement and miss out on enjoying life now. Here in the mountains, it may not be quite as bad, because many young people are very close to nature and enjoy the mountains. I don't want to postpone the life I want to live until later. I want to have time for writing and reading and hiking. Time to talk to God and learn from Him. Time to stare into the water or watch the trees in the wind. Time to watch a bee or listen to my daughter. And then it would be good to learn to complete tasks slowly and consciously. Slow cooking and shopping, for example. Tasks I don't enjoy much. But maybe I would enjoy them more if I didn't do them so fast?
In any case, radically banishing haste from life is an interesting project. Maybe for Lent? How about fasting on hurry?
Jesus was never in a hurry. He took his time even in emergency situations. He didn't run immediately when his friend Lazarus was sick. He took time for a sick woman, even though he was on his way to a terminally ill child. Sure, death does not stress Jesus as much as it does us. But Jesus always took time for people, even if he had a specific goal. It was okay for him to be interrupted. Also from children and beggars. He was only impatient with the know-it-alls and greedy. I would like to be on the road with Jesus for a few weeks. In real life, with the disciples back then in Israel. What would my days look like? Basic food and accommodation. Slow travelling. Dirt and adventure. Jesus would challenge me, but also take time to help me. The other disciples would certainly get on my nerves often. And then again, I would be glad that they have mercy with me. I would learn what is important and what is not. What my job is, and where I should just watch Jesus and wait.
Maybe this is also possible in Tyrol in the 21st century. Without dress and headscarf. But with internet and Merino shirt.
What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself?
What could you ever trade your soul for?
Matthew 16:26