We walk fast. We talk fast. Our thumbs race over the screen of our phones fast. We race from here to there, and that speed limit sign always feels too slow. We rush and we hustle. We stress and we strive. But it’s never enough because the 24 hours in the day somehow don’t feel like enough.

Whew. Are you stressed out just reading about the rush as much as I am writing it? It’s all too much. But what are we supposed to do about it? How can we make any real changes to reduce the rush when the world only presses in deeper with demands, deadlines, and due dates.

I wish I could tell you I have the magic elixir to pause the world around you so we could all take a collective deep breath. While I can’t honestly tell you to “follow these three simple steps” and you will never feel the weight of the world on your shoulders again, I can offer you moments to slow it all down. To press pause just for a moment and sit at the feet of Jesus. To help offer prayers to lay it all down and give your worries and cares to the only one who can ease the burdens you carry.

Together, we can take a deep breath, share a moment of peace and quiet, and offer a sacrifice of praise to God. Through moments of praise and shifting our minds from the next item on the to do list to the One who can do it all, we can learn to slow it all down. As we go through these prayers of praise, remember to read them slowly, pausing often to let the words sink in.

Let us rest in Him and take in the slow instead of the go-go-go. So, let’s start now by taking a deep breath. Release it slowly. And maybe do that a few more times as you remember there is no rush right now. Just rest with Jesus.

Kristen