Trying To Keep Up

Usually I walk by myself each morning.
It is my time to pray.
It is my time to think.
It is often my time to reflect.

There is always the morning wave to various neighbors as they go to work.
Sometimes, one may even stop and talk for a few minutes.
Our conversation is cut short if a school bus needs to pass by.
Once in a while another neighbor may be out walking.

I tower over this sweet neighbor.
My legs are long while her legs are much shorter.
She takes three or four steps to keep up with my one long stride.
She laughs about it; I try to slow down a bit.

I feel she gets more of a workout since she takes many more steps than I do.
On those mornings, it is not about the number of steps or the speed.
On those mornings, it is about two neighbors walking together.
I look forward to the change of pace and the time to catch up with her.

Those walks came to mind when I saw the little girl.
She was walking in the store with her mother behind her.
She had an older sister who was walking beside her mother.
This little girl had an independent spirit.

She was skipping and walking briskly down the main aisle.
The floor was tiled and she was hopping from one square to the next.
I was approaching from the other direction.
I could see her as I walked towards her.

Her little curls were bouncing up and down.
She was twisting her feet and being silly.
All of a sudden, she stopped and took a deep breath.
It was the breath of a marathon runner; it was the breath of someone tired out.

Her mother and I looked at each other and smiled.
This little girl was setting her own pace.
Her mother was letting her do just that.
If her mother had a to-do list, you would never know it.

Her little girl, skipping and hopping on tile squares, was much more important.
This mother walked slow on purpose so her little girl could have a bit of fun.
It was such a blessing to see.
What joy was on this little girl’s face.

At another store, I saw the exact opposite of what I just witnessed.
I saw a child obviously tired out.
I saw a child trying to keep up with an adult who did not seem to notice the struggle.
It was not a struggle of defiance; it was a struggle of simply trying to keep up.

Come on! Come on! You are so slow! The mother said.
We don’t have all day! The mother continued with a firm tone.
The mother walked way ahead of the child.
Mommy, wait up! the child said in frustration.

The long strides of the adult and the short steps of the child did not match.
The adult did not accommodate the child by slowing down a bit.
The child’s tears were very close.
I have no idea how this particular scenario ended.

I thought of the mother’s words: You are so slow.
I thought of how those words might have fallen on the little ears of the child.
I thought of learning about self-fulfilling prophecy back in a psychology class in college.
Our words are powerful; we fail to realize how powerful they really are.

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:6)

I thought about each child as I walked around.
As a spectator, I can notice things but I never know the full story.
There could be a very good reason why the mother was exasperated.
There could be a very good reason why they needed to hurry.

It was not about the speed or the length of the stride, it was about the words.
How often do we do the same thing to a new believer?
We expect that a new believer in the Lord Jesus should get up to speed.
Why are they walking at that pace on their spiritual journey and not this pace?

We use words, Christian-ese, that we assume they understand.
We do not take the time to let them hop and skip a bit at their own pace.
We expect their spiritual strides to match ours, especially if we are discipling them.
Rather than tell them to hurry up, perhaps it is us who should slow down.

Slow down to meet them where they are on their spiritual journey.
Slow down to answer their questions.
Slow down to really hear their heart.
Slow down to enjoy the role that God is allowing us to have in their life.

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”  So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. (Acts 8:26-35)

Imagine if Philip had said, You are too slow! You should understand that by now!
Imagine if Philip was in too much of a hurry and did not stop to help the Ethiopian.
Philip’s strides were far ahead of where the Ethiopian was but that did not deter him.
Philip shortened his stride and sat beside the Ethiopian in his chariot and took time with him.

Time.
Not rushed.
Not pushy.
Just available and ready to answer any questions the other person might have.

Always full of grace.
Seasoned with salt.
Available; unhurried.
It makes all the difference in the world.

 

2 responses to “Trying To Keep Up”

1. Challenging, yet not preachy…well done my friend.

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   • Thank you, Jean! What I witnessed, convicted me. The challenge is about putting those thoughts into words that will bless others. I am glad this post blessed you, friend!
     Gina

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