Speed Bumps and Benches and Trees…Oh My!

Yesterday my personal trainer asked me, “What’s with all the benches?”

She’s pretty new to my Facebook page, so never saw my posts back in August about the speed bumps, and since there are many others like her, I think it’s time to revisit that lesson from the Lord.

Back in August I was feeling anxious about certain areas of my life just not moving forward quickly enough.

I wasn’t getting enough sponsors for the radio show, and a friendship wasn’t progressing as quickly as my Type A personality would have liked…so it was kindof a double whammy.

My thoughts and emotions were all over the map, so a close friend counseled me to:

1)      Slow down
2)      Take every thought captive
3)      Replace it with the TRUTH in God’s Word
4)      Ask for input

As I was pondering those steps, one day walking to Starbucks, I went by 2 sets of speedbumps in the road. What a great visual reminder to slooooowwww down…being a “get things done fast” kind of person, I needed to see things around me that would remind me of what I needed to do.

On my way back from Starbucks, right before I get to the speed bumps, a little white car comes out of nowhere and flies over the speed bumps…it didn’t slow down even a little bit. My jaw dropped as I stood there…Oh Lord, that is ME! How often are you trying to get me to slow down and I just ignore you and keep racing forward?

A few days later, He reminded me how smitten I’d been lately with benches…especially those in beautiful settings, in front of a lake or under a tree. Many scriptures started to come to mind about resting, taking a break, and just being still with God. Sitting for a spell on a bench and tuning my heart in to God.

Those dots were connected, but God wasn’t done with me yet. The next day as I was walking, admiring the many trees in our neighborhood, I sensed Him saying…”how fast do those trees grow?”

Hmmmmm…yep, trees grow sloooowwwww. Benches sing “take a break and sit a spell”…and speed bumps  remind me to respond to God’s promptings by stopping…looking…and listening…to HIM! Quieting MY thoughts and seeing which ones are not from God and need to be replaced with Truth.

I think there’s a correlation to slowing down, spending more time with Him, and learning to wait with growing in faith and TRUSTING HIM. That seems to be what it’s all about…when we get going too fast and don’t take those times of solitude with Him, our thoughts seem to take over and it’s hard to discern what is God and what isn’t.  We’re just going too fast and end up being out of touch with Him.

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:12)

So, Lord, thanks for having my trainer ask me about those benches. It gave me an opportunity to ponder again the importance of having that “bench time” with You. Slowing down, listening for that still small voice, that gentle whisper, and allowing You to work in my heart.  Amen!