Letting God Set Our Pace
My pace has drastically changed from the busy housewife, mother, women’s ministry leader, piano teacher, church organist, and office administrator when my children were very young. I often look back at those days and wonder “How did I manage to keep my head on straight? How did I maintain a calm, cool and collected image? How did I not cave in the middle of the busyness?” If my kids are reading this, would you please remind me if I was ever cray-cray or better yet, please don’t remember! I prefer to think that I was just like June Cleaver in the “Leave it to Beaver” TV series in the 60s or Mrs. Cunningham in the 70s “Happy Days” TV series — adoring, sweet and serene.
A young mom of four texted me: “My mom brain is taxed to the limit these days trying to remember everything I’m supposed to do. I regularly feel like I’m forgetting something or someone!” Oh, how I relate! My responsibilities have changed but I still often feel like I’m forgetting something or someone! LOL! I really do get you precious wives and moms who are juggling a dozen plates at the same time. Been there and done that AND now I am proof that you will survive!
Life requires a truckload of patience and perseverance, and we make it! We conquer! For example, here we are over halfway through February and Christmas is a distant memory. All that stress and busyness is behind us AND we’re on to successfully making through another year. The problem is we aren’t satisfied with taking baby steps to get to our destination. We expect that we must do life in giant leaps or we’re falling short. There are so many lessons to learn and so many victories that we can win if we only take one step at a time and one day at a time to accomplish our goals.
In many car races, they typically begin with a pace car that runs the other cars around the track before the race officially starts and then once that flag to start is waved, the pace car veers off and the others pass on by and commence the race. God is the driver of our pace car. Instead of concerning ourselves with the next BIG event and all the challenges we’ll face, the better plan is to get in sync with God’s perfect pace that will keep us in a state of peace and contentment. Listen to God’s pace: “He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31
This post started out speaking to you young wives and moms, but even those of us without those many responsibilities, can still feel out-of-sync and we get in a tizzy about this or that. I know it well. A couple of nights ago I woke in a sort of panic mode when I thought about a project I’m responsible for and it just wasn’t coming together as I had expected. I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned. Then, I forced my mind to stop thinking about all that “stuff” and to think on my Pace-Setter, He Who leads with perfect timing with a peace and joy pace, realizing that tomorrow is another day, and that day will give the opportunity for walking and running in His pace.