Twice today I have been asked if a particular incident that happened in Pennfield where an individual was caught driving 160 km per hour through a construction zone was me. Though I am sure those individuals asked it jest there is some underlying truth in this that I may or may not like about myself. Though I would not drive my lil 97 Civic at that speed often times my mind races at that pace and my lifestyle often reflects this mentality.
I don't think it's a problem to be goal oriented and wanting to get things done, but when that becomes so ingrained in our minds that we allow ourselves to skip natural steps along the way to reach these goals, this is not good. Is it possible that we miss a lot of the blessings that we could experience along the way if we just skip to the end. Being a sports nut I think of Lebron James along this train of thinking. Instead of staying put where he was and allowing his general manager to build winning pieces around him to win an NBA championship he skipped right to joining two other superstars in an attempt to build a super team and win it all. The only problem is that he ran into a team in the finals that built their team from the ground up that took many years to finally find the right combination of superstars and role players. The Mavericks did not attempt to find "the quick fix" and it ultimately paid off for them this year as they were crowned the NBA champions.
Why is it that men and women sometimes find it easier to have extra marital affairs rather than work at the relationship that they are currently in? Why is the pornography industry as popular as it is now days? What was once a stray "magazine" that boys would find under Dad's bed is now a billion dollar industry that simply requires 3 or 4 clicks of the mouse to open up a world of "stimulation". Why do microwaves exist? I know that was quite a transition, but there are so many examples of how we ignore the simple pleasures and skip to the end, the thrill, the high, the buzz or whatever you want to call it.
What joy could we add to life if we just slowed down, enjoyed the process and allowed God to teach us what we need to learn, how to love our spouse, how to smell the roses and enjoy his creation around us? When a child is born we do not tell it to get a job and find a place to live, yet this is often the pace we live at as adults. We skip over so much to get to a goal that is often temporary and we are ultimately unfulfilled without the process. The process helps us to appreciate the end result.
I will end with this illustration. While attending college in Sussex I was told of a place called "The Bluff" which apparently had a wonderful view. The first time I made the journey to go to this place I was somewhat overwhelmed with the hike that it took to get there. Often times during this walk I was tempted to quit and go back to the car, but I did not. I worked through this process and to put it lightly the end result was definitely worth it. The view was outstanding. At that moment I realized that if I quit I would have missed out on an amazing experience and if I would have been given a ride on a four wheeler or helicopter or some other type of vehicle, it would have cheapened the experience.
What area's are you rushing through to get to the end? I know of many in my life where I need to slow down and enjoy the process even though it is a difficult thing for me. "The reality is this." If the end result is this important to me, am I willing to wait and let life run it's course for the best possible version of this end result rather than a watered down, broken version of what I would like to see. A quick fix or temporary high does not have long term sustainability or ultimate satisfaction as a part of its package.
As quoted by the theologian narrating the Heinze Ketchup commercials, "Good things come to those who wait."
Blessings,
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