Unfolding Slowly

     I spent two days this week in an Amish community in Ohio.  It was a chance to learn how they live.  I got a feel for their "unrushed" way of life, kind of hard not to when you're following a horse and buggy at a whopping 2 miles an hour, okay, maybe 5, but it is unlikely.  It made me wonder how many things I might be able to learn from the Amish.  Let's start with taking life a little more slowly.  Obviously, as with just about everybody else, I find my life runs like the merry-go-round at the local park, you know, that round spinny thing the kids all pile onto while the one unlucky kid gets to grab hold of the metal bar and run as fast as he can while pushing it and then try to jump on without breaking something or getting thrown off in the process of jumping on.  I feel like I've got my head hanging over the edge going 30 miles an hour, trying not to throw up because I can't tolerate spinny things anymore, and praying that I don't bang my head off some other kid's leg who decided to jump off mid spin.

     So, what happens in life that forces you to take things slowly or take a step back?  How many times do I end up behind a slow driver and get frustrated?  Too many times.  Could it be God's way of giving me some time to relax?  Could it be God's way of helping us to avoid something dangerous we might encounter if we were rushing to get somewhere?  A friend's daughter sprained her ankle last week.  She has no choice but to slow down.  It's kind of hard to race from one place to another when you're on crutches.  Why don't they put wheels on those things?  Wheeled crutches and one roller blade...that would work, right?  Okay, maybe not.  You might be looking at traction then.  That'll really slow you down.

     Okay, I know what you're saying, "God doesn't give me broken bones because he wants me to slow down." Granted, but I would say he turns bad into good for his purposes.  We rush around expecting to do the impossible...finish all our tasks in one day.  LOL!  That's like when I come home from the grocery store and think I can carry every bag in one trip.  It might happen, but my arms are about 2 feet longer and my shoulders are dislocated by the time I reach the kitchen.  So, no matter what the circumstance that gives you a chance to pause, thank God for the time you now have.  The important stuff will get done.

I set this blog up two weeks ago.  I am finally writing my first entry.  Living life as it unfolds sometimes means not being able to get to the things I want to do but simply taking care of the things that happen as they happen.  I work full time as a medical transcriptionist at home and homeschool my 3 children who are in grades 3, 5, and 7.  When my oldest was only three, my husband, John, said he wanted us to homeschool.  I told him I could use an 8-hour break a day.  I decided to go to a homeschool conference to find out more about, but I told him that I'd need to see the handwriting on the wall if he thought I'd even consider it.  I called him before the last session and told him we were going to homeschool.  He asked, "How long?"  I told him, "The whole way through," to which he replied, "Wow!  Must be some seminar!"  It definitely was.  We are in our 8th year now.  There are definitely hard times.  Like today...