{"id":4201,"date":"2021-05-13T14:38:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-13T20:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kathleengibson.ca\/sunnysideup\/?p=4201"},"modified":"2021-05-23T15:12:59","modified_gmt":"2021-05-23T21:12:59","slug":"slow-me-down-lord","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kathleengibson.ca\/sunnysideup\/2021\/05\/13\/slow-me-down-lord\/","title":{"rendered":"Slow me down, Lord"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

 My beautiful travel mug, a gift from my boss, lay in pieces in the middle of 8th<\/sup> Avenue. It had managed to stay upright until my car hit the bump at the bottom of the driveway. Hearing a dull thunk, I glanced out the window and saw a strange cluster of white and blue fragments on the road. Too late, I remembered. I\u2019d put my cup of wake-me-up (peppermint tea, that day) on my car roof while unlocking the car and stashing my work bags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d started out late \u2013 just a bit \u2013 to pick up my eldest grandson for our mutual commute to work. Neither of us likes to be late for work, so I had rushed out to the car with no minutes to spare. My haste made waste, just as old King Solomon said in Proverbs 19:2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why, after all my years, am I still learning that lesson? Haste wastes not only with forgotten cups on car roofs. Rush makes mush of brains too sometimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later the same day, I again rushed out to my car, this time to begin an hour-long drive to an unexpected appointment. I had just enough time. But checking my gas level, I realized I\u2019d never make it to Preeceville on fumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPay inside before filling,\u201d the sign on the pump read, a recent change at that station. Usually I\u2019d paid after. Inside, I chatted briefly with one of my favourite attendants as my transaction processed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A kilometre down the highway, I glanced down at my fuel gauge. To my surprise, the needle still pointed to empty. Then it hit me. According to my usual pattern, I\u2019d left immediately after paying. But this time, because I hadn\u2019t made enough of a mental note of the new process, I had an empty tank when I\u2019d pulled away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embarrassed, I slunk back into the station and drew alongside the same pump. Behind the window, Denise watched as I climbed from the car. \u201cIt\u2019s still waiting for you, love,\u201d she called over the intercom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I owe her flowers or chocolates or something. I didn\u2019t even need to go in and reveal my red face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first part of Proverbs 19:2 contains a parallel caution. \u201cIgnorant zeal is worthless,\u201d it reads. Who hasn\u2019t, at some point or another, rushed headlong to do (or say, or write, or remind someone of) something we felt vital? Without consideration, or prayer, or even as much as a deep breath?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I think of all the efforts I\u2019ve expended, all the words I have wasted doing just that, I shudder. If only I had thought first or put myself in their place. Instead, I have risked losing far more than a cup on my car roof, or a few dollars. I\u2019ve risked relationship, all because I flung myself into action (no matter how well-intended) without taking time to think or pray. And like my shattered cup, not everything is repairable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lord, slow us\u2026slow ME\u2026down. For Christ\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Before the fall<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

 My beautiful travel mug, a gift from my boss, lay in pieces in the middle of 8th Avenue. It had managed to stay upright until my car hit the bump at the bottom of the driveway. Hearing a dull thunk, I glanced out the window and saw a strange cluster …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[387,1,490,489,384],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-attention","category-faith-and-life","category-haste-makes-waste","category-hurry-hurry","category-nasty-surprise"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kathleengibson.ca\/sunnysideup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kathleengibson.ca\/sunnysideup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kathleengibson.ca\/sunnysideup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kathleengibson.ca\/sunnysideup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kathleengibson.ca\/sunnysideup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4201"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/kathleengibson.ca\/sunnysideup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4207,"href":"https:\/\/kathleengibson.ca\/sunnysideup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4201\/revisions\/4207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kathleengibson.ca\/sunnysideup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kathleengibson.ca\/sunnysideup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kathleengibson.ca\/sunnysideup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}