Feeling Groovy?

Slow down, you move too fast, you've got to make the morning last
Just kickin' down the cobble-stones, lookin' for fun and feelin' groovy

- Simon and Garfunkel

(Or is it feeling woozy?)

Kids playing with Andrew Wednesday night

Life has been a blur the past few weeks. Our oldest two finished up at Purdue, and now we have Kara back at home, livening things up with music, good food, and spirited conversation. Andrew’s finals were over before Kara’s, and he was able to grab about 12 hours at home before heading to Colorado for a summer internship with Hewlitt-Packard. Tim made the trip west with him to help him get settled into his temporary home in the beautiful town of Fort Collins. Tim and Andrew had time to climb Horse Tooth Mountain on Saturday, (see pictures), then Tim flew home Sunday after attending church with Andrew. Added to this, Tim’s dad spent the past week in the hospital. Thankfully he was able to come home today.

View from Horsetooth Mountain

We’ve felt the pull of demands from a wide age range of children plus elderly parents very acutely in recent days. Often (always?) we feel unable to meet everyone’s needs adequately, and we have to ask the Lord to help us figure out what will and what will not get done, then trust Him for what happens. In the few moments I’ve had when I’ve been able to think in a linear direction, I’ve been trying to remember to take one day at a time, and pace myself.

Tim’s long been a backpacker and he’s told me there is something in hiking called a “rest step, which allows hikers to make a small pause between steps. This minute momentary rest increases hikers’ stamina enough to enable them to make climbs that might otherwise exhaust them. Intrigued by the idea, I looked up a description.. Here’s what I found:

Once you're out on the trail, set a pace that is sustainable for you. Of course, your pace will change with the terrain. On steep uphills, try the "rest step." As you put one foot forward and down, you pause for a second or two while the weight is still on the backward leg. Then transfer the weight to the forward leg, take a step forward, and pause again. This gives you tiny little breaks with each step.

Once you get used to the rest step, you'll be able to set a comfortable pace and move uphill without having to climb 10 steps and stop to gasp for air, then climb another 10 steps and stop and gasp again.

I’m not sure I totally get it, but perhaps I’ll have opportunity to try out the rest step a try when we are in Arizona this summer. Irregardless, I think there might be a concept there which can apply to other areas of life – especially times when life is stressful and overly full. Taking short, small breathers in the midst of a whirlwind of activity – just for a few seconds sometimes – to rest, to reflect on Scripture, to pray, to sing or play a hymn on the piano - can help us keep going without giving in to feelings of being overwhelmed. Anyway, it’s a concept I’m working on incorporating into my sometimes too crazy life to maintain calm in the midst of the whirlwind.

Matthew 6: 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.