But Martha was distracted by the big
dinner she was preparing.
Luke 10:40 NLT
Rarely did
the speedometer register over twenty-five miles per hour.
As long as
I knew him, my maternal grandfather never got in a hurry. He didn’t have to
punch a time clock—he was a farmer. But he did have somewhat of a schedule. He
got up at five every morning, dressed, drank a cup of instant coffee, and went
to the wrap-around porch. There, he sat in a chair, smoked cigarettes, and waited
for the sun to rise over the pines that bordered his farmland.
By this
time, my grandmother had breakfast. After eating, he might do a little plowing,
ride over to another farm he owned and check the crops, check his fence rows to
make sure no hogs had rooted out … or drive two miles to town to Bert Sweat’s
store where he and other farmers would gather for a Pepsi or Coke and a pack of
Nabs.
Regardless
of where my grandfather went, he took a slow ride in his pickup, and my cousin
and I loved to ride with him. If we weren’t sitting on the edge of the bed, we
were standing up behind the cab, letting the wind blow in our faces. But our
favorite thing to do was sit on the tailgate and drag our feet on the asphalt
as my grandfather puttered along.
I think of
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus when I think of those slow rides. Good friends of
Jesus who often had him over for a meal or just fellowship. On this occasion,
Martha busied herself preparing a meal. Mary, though, took a slow ride, which
caused her sister to complain to Jesus. And He set the matter straight. Mary’s slow
ride was more beneficial than the fast-paced life Martha lived.
In our busy
world filled with employers who want countless hours from us, with any number
of people wanting our time, talents, and money, and with countless forms of
entertainment—compounded by technology’s advances, slowing down isn’t easy. In
fact, it won’t happen unless we make the effort.
My cousin
and I could have easily found something else to busy ourselves with, but we
chose the slow ride. And those lazy days around the farm have helped me
understand the necessity of taking slow rides in life.
So, go
ahead and take a slow ride. You won’t regret it, your family will appreciate
it, and your health will benefit.
Prayer:
Father, help us to slow down so that we can enjoy life and find time for those
things that are most important.
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