Soul Space

Do you leave space for your soul?

Room for rest?

A little “margin for me”?

A sliver of time to savor the Savior?

In our jam-packed, fast-paced whirlwind of an existence we call ‘life’, I’m afraid very few of us do.

I’m gonna be straight up with you girlfriends. Today is  my 14th day of being sick.

The first week brought high fever, aches, chills, a cough, chest congestion, a splitting headache and a general feeling of crumminess that rendered me ineffective at life. I could hardly walk without feeling like I was going to faint.

Once the fever broke, the coughing kicked into high gear. Any breath deeper that a shallow pant sent me into a coughing fit.

After two weeks, I’m still coughing.

Although the symptoms of this flu are bothersome, what aggravated me more was the loss of time they produced; time I wanted to spend getting things done; being productive; accomplishing tasks.

However, for the first five entire days, I could do nothing. I mean NOTHING!

I laid on the couch or my bed, let the boys fend for themselves (they were fine and rose to the occasion) and checked out of life almost completely.

Truthfully?

It stunk.

And then?

It was wonderful.

Seriously.

I could only do two activities.

Pray and read.

Even the television being on bothered my tender brain.

It became clear to me that this little ol’e bout with the flu was God’s gentle nudge saying….

“SLOW DOWN!!!!!!!”

Although I try to build in time each day to read the Bible,; to pray; to jot a note to someone; to be intentional to really connect with my family or a friend, sometimes those items become nothing more than another task on my “to do” list.

Last week, (after the first two days which were horrid and I did nothing but sleep and cough!) I spent more time reading my Bible and praying for my family and friends than I have in ages.

Then, once I felt a little better, I watched a movie with my kids.

WITHOUT folding laundry, sorting coupons or writing bills at the same time.

Those who know me know that is a major miracle!

But those first few days when all I did was read and pray, although I was at my sickest, were in a sense, quiet bliss.

It wasn’t rushed.

No reason to whip through it fast. I had no where to go!

It wasn’t out of duty.

I actually grew to cherish the opportunity for the unhurried focus.

And–hear me now— a part of me misses being that sick!

Oh I still have an annoying, residual cough, but I’m able, for the most part, to be back “up and at em”! (I’d better be. Spencer’s 13th birthday bowling and pizza party is today which ends at my house with oodles of hungry teenage boys!)

But I miss the alone time with God and the feeling of utter dependence I feel when I’m really sick.

Why does it take sickness to slow us down sometimes?

Why do we fear the world will surely end if we are outta commission for a while? (Note to self: it did not!)

Why, as a mom, do I seldom pause to rest?

Those are some questions I’m pondering this weekend.

This weekend when my agenda says “organize tax papers for accountant” and “sort through the basement storage room in a weeding-out-the-junk quest” and “write a devotion for Proverbs 31 and a drama for my churches worship service”…

Well, you might just find me doing those things…

AFTER….I’ve slowed down and savored for a while.

And before I take me a good long nap on both days!

Pause.

Rest.

Recoup.

Do it now, friends, before it takes the flu-fever-coughin’ crud to get you to a quiet place where you finally find space for your soul!

Slow-down-and-savor Blessings,