Slow but Steady

I move slower, in one way, than most people do.

Oh, it's true that I rush around, doing all the tasks on my daily menu, but in another way, I try to avoid rash decisions, and I tend to be slower in responding to issues that are fresh and new to my life. If someone, well-meaning though they may be, suggests this-or-that as a solution to a major or minor issue I am facing, I will often slow down, get as much info as I can, and think about it just a bit before plunging into waters I have not yet charted.

My actions are a lot slower than my words. I mentioned yesterday how often words just fly out of my mouth. Thank heaven that my thoughts are a bit slower. Even in emergencies or a crisis or a financial mess, I will often take a moment or two longer than someone else to begin to act.

For the first moment or two in which I am sort of frozen, my mind goes numb. At one time, I thought this was a disadvantage and something to be ashamed of. Now I realize it buys me a moment to rest in the Lord and let his guidance take hold. I'm not a saint. I don't always think of it that way, resting in him. But that is what is happening.

Then I most often take hold with something like, "Ok, so that's the way it is. Now, what do I do next (or first)?" By taking action as soon as I can, after that momentary pause, at least I am doing something, anything, to try to resolve the situation. And by pausing first, I have given myself a moment to, hopefully, hear his guidance and his voice.

On some issues, it takes me longer to take that first step. If it's not an immediate problem and if it can wait, it usually does. Depending on the time frame, that can be a day or a week or months. But there will come a time when I suddenly sort of wake up and say, "Ok, it's time to tackle this. What do I do first?"

Dear God, please forgive me if I do not move on problems as quickly as I should, but please continue to guide me, especially if I forget to ask you for your help; I need it even more at those times.