From my office I have a great vantage point to see the mail
truck come down the street. Yesterday I was in the middle of an overdue work
project when I saw it. Two stamped envelopes had to make it in the mail before
the holiday, so I threw on a coat, but not shoes, and ran down the hill to the
mailbox in my fuzzy socks, envelopes in hand. I smiled at our postman and
wished him a Happy Thanksgiving, as we exchanged letters, and then ran right
back up the hill to get back to work. But one item of mail was a package, so I
tore into that first, curious. Which book had I recently ordered? And there it
was in my hands, mocking the fact that I was slightly out of breath: An Unhurried
Life, by Alan Falding.
Today I sat down to read the book and learned again
something I’d heard a few weeks ago (when I first learned about this book from
a Bridgetown Audio Podcast, which I highly recommend!). The famous theologian
Dallas Willard, when asked for one word to describe Jesus, replied, “Relaxed.” Such
an interesting word. In contrast to Powerful. Loving. Miracle-working. Can I
accept this view of Jesus? For me “relaxed” first brings to mind the recent Sunday
School coloring pages that my 3 and 4-year-old students produced, making Jesus look
like a hippie mellowing out with his disciples, as if they’re waiting for their
VW bus to pull up.
But then I read the questions at the end of the chapter. How
do I respond to this view of Jesus as “relaxed, unhurried”? Well, in one sense the
truth of it is fairly obvious: He hasn’t returned yet, has he? But what about Jesus’
essential nature? Does the relaxed and unhurried label truly fit?
Then it hit me. Every time I have sat with someone in a Rooted
Prayer session, encountering Jesus, He is very much relaxed, and He never seems
to be in a hurry. (Rooted Prayer is similar to Listening Prayer; for more
information see Susan Carson’s wonderfully insightful book, Rooted (IN): Living Deeply Rooted in Love with God,
Yourself, and Others, Chapter 12). In these prayer sessions Jesus shows up in
beautiful ways, ministering love to those receiving prayer. He walks with them down wooded paths, sits
with them on the beach, rides horses with them across beautiful pastures, and
even sits on the ground with them to play games. He takes his time, allowing
them to settle into the experience, clearly in no hurry. And in these times, I
have learned to go at his pace, waiting, learning patience. To be richly
rewarded when by the end of a session we see the transformation that comes with
deep revelation and inner healing. His peaceful, powerful, patient presence
settling hearts formerly weighed down with anxiety or fear. Countenances change
with a peaceful sigh. Ah, that was sooo good!
I have learned so much as a volunteer with Roots&Branches
prayer ministry, and one of the more important lessons has been exercising
great patience, in listening to people and listening to the Lord.
And each time I’ve encountered Jesus personally in my own
quiet space, He is the picture of peace, seemingly content to take all the time
in the world with me. We sit by the mountain stream and toss pebbles into the
cool waters, sometimes without even saying a word. We take long walks along the
shore and ponder the waves. And even when I’m scared, unwilling to take the
next step (or leap) of faith, He is patient. Never pressing. Sometimes carrying
me, sometimes just holding me. Always willing to wait.
Patient. Unhurried. Relaxed. Yes, it seems Jesus has always been this way. Even in the
midst of the crowds, the storms, the unrelenting evil. Even at his most
passionate times (cleansing the temple, crying tears of blood in the garden)
there is no sense of hurry. And even today He is content to move through his
people rather than show up personally on the scene. It certainly is far from what
my impulse would be.
Today I could easily choose hurry. There is more work to do – and I’ve already
spent quite a bit of time in this chair. I admittedly feel a bit unsettled by
watching others scurry about – accomplishing things - nearby. But there is a Presence
that speaks more deeply - my unhurried Savior wooing me to the place of quiet
contentment inside that says, “Sit here awhile longer with Me. Learn of Me.
Learn my ways in the core of your being. You are choosing what is best.”
So, I pray: “Thank you, Jesus, for bringing me here. To this
place, this time, breathing in your stillness. It is my good. Help me to carry
this into the rest of the day, living an unhurried day, relaxed and content,
with You.”
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