"100 MPH"

Do you ever feel like you are going 100 MPH? For those families whose children started back to school today, you may even feel like you have whiplash. It is go here...run there...back to the house...grab a bite to eat and don't let the door hit you as you leave...zoooom...daaaash...(hey, give me a break...it is hard to make fast car noises in type)...100 MPH! If you ever feel like that, then know that you are not alone. I feel like I have been going 100 MPH today.

Let's face it...we live in a culture that values speed. Our culture gives us the message every day that the prize goes to the one who can cram the most in and get the most done in the fastest time. Of course, no one knows what the prize is... Unless, you count heartburn, headaches, short-tempers, negative attitudes and insomnia as prizes. I don't count them as prizes, but I can count on them to be my norm when I expect of my self, my life and my family to keep going 100 MPH, 7 days a week.

However, can I let you in on a little secret our culture does not want you to know? I am looking over my shoulder as I type, hoping that the cultural KGB will not bust down my door for what I am about to share. Are you ready? This could change everything for you and me...here it is:

Just because our culture tells us everyone has to go 100 MPH every day, does not mean we have to live that way.

I know...its completely counter cultural, but is true! I can pull off the highway. It OK to take a side road where the speed limit is only 25 MPH. Heck...you can even pull off at a rest area for a while. I know..this is hard for most of us...we feel like we need to be going all the time. We feel like rest is a waste. We feel guilty if we are not being productive every second. We think it is normal to be busy from dawn to dusk. Friends, its not normal...its INSANE!

I am drawn back to the Scripture we looked at on Sunday in Isaiah 40:31, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." The truth is pulling off the highway and being intentional about rest, recreation and reflection is not counter-productive it helps you to be more productive because it renews your strength.

We all complain about our busyness. Why not quit complaining and do something about it?! There is no better time than the first day of school to be intentional about being counter cultural in this way. Here are some ideas:

* Establish a "Nothing" night one night a week. Whether this is the same night every night or determined at the on-set of each new week. You and your family will come to look forward to this night in which nothing is planned...nothing has to be done at home or any where else...it will become an evening of refuge that you will anticipate together.

* Establish a daily time of quiet for just you and your Father in heaven. I use a time of journaling and Scripture reading to help me find my Center for the day. An evening walk is also a great time of re-focusing on God for me. It is amazing how this renews my strength. God is near. The question is where are we?

* Block out sabbath time. What do you do before and after worship? Don't just count the hour here on Sunday as worship. Give yourself an hour before worship to begin changing channels. Keep the TV off and find ways to turn your heart and mind on to the things of God. Do this as a family. Then after worship use the ride home to talk about not just what was said, but what it was speaking to you personally. Let the conversation go as long or as short as needed. Then pray silently or out loud together that what God said on Sunday stays with you and is played out all week.

* Budget for a vacation. We have made a decision we will do without many other things during the year (Cable TV, texting, eating out, etc.) so we can save enough money each year to get away. Whether you can get away for a day, a weekend or a week, getting away does the heart good. It is like an annual sabbatical.

The list of ideas could go on and on, but ideas mean nothing unless they are put into action. I challenge us, church, to be boldly counter cultural in this way. If others want to go 100 MPH, 7 days a week, they can do so. I will pray for them as they crash and burn. But as for me and my house, we be intentional about pulling off the highway so we can enjoy the scenic route occasionally and the rest stops regularly.