How do we know it’s time for us to move forward? I admit that if God told me what was ahead of me, I would be the one to race ahead, far before I’m ready for it, like an eager child who sees the goodness of something trivial. I get caught up with the little pleasures right in front of me, rather than waiting for the good from God when I keep my gaze focused on him and wait.

Since March of 2020, we have been living with one deflated expectation after another. We’ve had to let go of our social life expectations, from altered travel plans to reunions canceled to delayed memorial services. Many have experienced financial hardship due to job loss. Many others have lost loved ones. And, right as we believed we would be engaging normalcy in our days, another spike has left us wondering if we will ever feel normal again. 

Recently, I turned 40. As many do at milestone birthdays, I’ve taken it as a time for reflection. When I reached 40, I imagined that I would have all the answers, life would be figured out, and I would be wearing biz casual attire everywhere, cause that’s what you do, right?

Abram was called from the land of Haran, where he and his family had settled from Ur, to go west. With Abram, his barren wife Sarai and nephew Lot (who lost his father) left their loved ones behind to travel with Abram to the place God showed him. They waved goodbye to Terah and Nahor, Abram’s father and brother, as they started on the path. When God calls us to move, it rarely impacts only us.

One August morning in 2020, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind the story of Jesus and the man who had to bury his father. Jesus had a simple invitation to people he met along the way, “Follow me.”

A man replies to Jesus, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Admirable. Understandable. Of course, this seems like the right good to do. Yet Jesus’ response seems uncomfortable. “Let the dead bury their own dead...”

As my son is going into his senior year of high school, I have a growing awareness that he’ll soon be an adult. With this in mind, we took a family day at Silver Falls, one of my favorite places to go for a day hike, in a growing effort to set aside the hurry. 

Why is it so challenging to bring this intentional, unhurried pace into my everyday life? I say I seek a life marked by profound patience, to focus on what’s in front of me, but too often I find myself moving all too quickly from one meeting to another, barely taking time to breathe.