Peace - Be Still

"Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world."

-- Mother Teresa


I stumbled upon this quote from Mother Teresa yesterday quite by accident while searching for another one of her famous sayings. The words above reinforce a conviction I have felt lately regarding home and family: a slower-paced family life is a more peaceful family life. It seems for about the past 9 months, God has been pounding me (in His gentle style) over the head with this very idea. This lesson has come at me from so many different directions, I'd be a fool not to listen.

The truth is, life is simply more peaceful when we slow down as families and just enjoy each others' presence. There's a huge temptation to busy ourselves and our kids with more and more activities in order to feel like we're keeping up with everyone else. Although there will always be greater opportunities within our grasp, sometimes we just need to step back and look at the big picture and ask ourselves: "Will this opportunity draw our family closer together or pull us away from each other? Will this new development move me closer in the direction of God's plan and purpose for my life?" If we answer "no" to either of the questions above, we must prayerfully consider if this new opportunity will ultimately become a burden and rob us and our families of peace.

Slowing down does not mean shirking our responsibilities and taking a vacation from the realities of life. Irresponsibility never promotes peace, nor does it demonstrate love for others. There will always be challenges along our path as we journey through life, and with God's grace, we can navigate around these obstacles. However, slowing down simply means we cut out the clutter in our lives and focus on what's important from an eternal perspective. What's eternal in life? People. It may seem strange to think of it this way, but our spouses and children are eternal beings. This life on Earth is just the opening act for eternity. C.S Lewis said something like 'no one we meet is a mere mortal' because we were all designed for eternity. This includes our spouses and children. The very people with whom we eat breakfast, watch TV, and experience all the mundane activities of daily life are, in fact, immortal.

They are definitely worth slowing down for.