Why I Need to Slow Down
What I'm learning 2,140 miles from home
My husband and I are visiting friends in Guadalajara, Mexico. The last time we came to the city was in September 2001 and a lot has changed. G & K came as young missionaries, planted three churches, helped a Christian school flourish and raised three children here. Oh, and the city has grown from one million to seven million people.
Although much has changed, there is a constant in the Hispanic culture that our friends love—the pace at which people go about their days. All four of us are in our retirement years; however, slowing down is coming a little more easily to our Mexico-based friends. I’m sure it’s the culture that’s seeped into their way of life, something they’ve adapted to beautifully. I wish I was a little more adaptable and slowing down could seep its way in….I am discovering I have a lot to learn about living at the correct speed.
Here’s the thing: I am always in a “hurry and get to the next thing” frame of mind. This does not bode well in a culture where taking time to talk with and listen to other human beings is a very high priority. But there have been some holy nudges, subtle and incremental taps on the shoulder to which I’ve been trying to pay attention.
Before I sat down to write this, I paged back a few days in my journal and noticed notes from a previous morning’s reading. I’d written, “Slow down your responses. Things take time. Don’t be in such a rush. Jesus is not in a hurry.” Then I copied a Scripture selection from that day, with a theme that seems to occur often for me, “In rest and repentance shall be your salvation; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15).
The day’s entry continued, “Quietness and trust accomplish far more than you can imagine: not only in you, but also on earth and in heaven.” When you are quietly trusting, you don’t need to hurry everything up.
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Well.
In the past eight days we have had daily excursions out and about, meeting and mingling among the warm and welcoming people far and near. Nowhere has it been more apparent than in these daily encounters just how much of a hurry I’m in all the time. I’m afraid I rather match the stereotype of selfish Americans who can’t slow down for what’s important. Namely, actually being present with people. 1
My husband, however, fits right in. Each time we’ve wandered through a marketplace, been greeted by someone at church, had a conversation in a walkway or restaurant, he is usually lagging way behind. He’ll try out his Spanish, talk with his hands, smile and usually mention Jesus, ‘cause he’s sweet like that. And people always are touched by his kindness, especially the shopkeepers and people along the way in the mercados. Everyone has a story to tell him.
I, on the other hand, am shushing him along, telling him to hurry up, fussy about having to wait while he “wastes time.” Wastes time. I’m embarrassed to even type that. No one else is worried about the extra time and attention taken; in fact, young or old, there is a sense that nothing else is more important than the person right in front of them. No one has laughed at our Spanish, we’ve been greeted with pleasantries and welcomed with broad smiles.
Kindess and respect permeates the culture. Respect for family and deep conversation, lingering over shared meals, saying ‘Buena dias’ to strangers, are all a way of life for the Hispanic culture. I believe they have captured the heart of God in regards to that—His highest priority has always been—before projects or practice, plan or places—people.
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Also from my journal four days ago: Hurrying is evil; ‘live’ spelled backwards. Why? Because we are eternal beings; we know this in our souls. We were not made for rushing around but for lingering. We will literally live forever so why do we act like we must accelerate the pace at which we live, as if we might squeeze in one more (fill in the blank)?
God is not in a hurry—He has time to slow down, to see people, to hear people, to take time for what’s important. Ecclesiastes 3:11 declares God has put eternity in our hearts.2 And that is His concern—our eternity. (That is also my husband’s concern as well-stopping to talk with people and ribboning the theme of salvation into each conversation. Did I mention he likes to talk about Jesus a lot?)
God Speaks Spanish
Although our first visit to a church service here was entirely in Spanish, I was surprised to discover I much I actually understood. I know enough of the language to get by (thank you So Cal upbringing and five years of French class) and was able to follow along. I actually got one or two of the pastor’s jokes.
It’s really all about “perspectivo,” Pastor Willie reminded us, as he preached on Del Eden a la Eternidad—From Eden to Eternity. God had a scarlet thread of salvation in place from the beginning, he said, and my ears perked up.3 Once again the Holy Spirit reminded me— when you have the long game in mind, you realize there really is all the time in the world to focus on what’s important—the people God has put in your path.
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We are now packing to leave in the morning. It’s been a very long Sabbath day here for us. Four and a half hours of worship and church and fellowship and lunch and finally…home for a siesta. That is a m u c h longer Sunday morning than I am used to, but it was worth it. This second visit I felt a little more acclimated to lingering, more willing to engage with folks who stopped me to converse, offering a hug and kind word.
So many people commented after service what an encouragement it was to them for us to come, especially the blessing it was to the Pastor. But we are amazed and heart-full ourselves, grateful to even be a sliver of a part of what God has planted here all these years later. The legacy our friends began 40 years ago has ribboned its way through all the way to today, harvesting seeds planted from the beginning when G & K, along with my husband and I, were young and full of Jesus. We all started out in California; they came to Mexico and we ended up in Seattle.
But God can clearly be more than one place at once, and for that I praise Him. Our lives are fuller and richer because of our new Hispanic friends, all of whom I will take home in my heart… where eternity lives.
Shemaiah Gonzalez has some thoughts on not talking at all.
Because of this poem I wrote which I shared with the pastor. It’s in my new book Mining the Bright Birds: Poems of Longing for Home.