“Be still and
listen to the One who is speaking.” ~ Hebrews 12:25
For Chen, nothing beat the City, with its life, noise, and neon
signs; he was constantly moving to his next obligation. His life was filled
with subway rides, crowded streets, and late-night dinner meetings. The son of Chinese
immigrants had something to prove.
Staying busy was his medal
of honor- a marker of self-worth. He wore it proudly as if to affirm his
importance and status.
However, over time, he
began spiraling. The rush of the work that used to excite him now gripped him
with exhaustion, his brain twitching with ideas he couldn’t silence, not even
in the darkest hours of the night. Others recognized it.
Chen just hadn’t admitted it to himself yet.
His wife and four-year-old
daughter, Mei, choked down food at mealtimes, Chen glued to his iPhone,
answering emails and irritated by any interruptions. His frantic, hurry-up
lifestyle was becoming unbearable.
One evening after supper, Mei wanted to tell her Dad
something important that’d happened at school that day. She began hastily, “Daddy,
I wanna tell you somethin’ and I’ll tell you really fast!”
Realizing her
frustration, Chen said quickly, “Honey, you can tell me - and you don’t
have to hurry. Tell me slowly.”
Chen would never
forget her answer in a timid voice and with adoring eyes: “Then listen
slowly.”
His embarrassment was
immediate, genuine, and intense. He realized at least two things at once:
first, that his sweet, angelic, baby girl had shown tremendous courage. Second,
it was time to own it, apologize, and show the same bravery by changing his
lifestyle before it was too late.
Busy can mean
productive. And since society values productivity in a “doing culture,” that’s
exactly what it promotes. When we’re constantly busy, there’s a certain rhythm
to life. We wake up before the alarm rings, we grab breakfast on the way out, power
through work, and move from one task to the next without pausing. Moving fast
doesn’t necessarily mean we’re accomplishing more.
But when things slow
down, everything sounds different. We start to hear things previously ignored -
a child’s laughter, a hushed whisper, God’s message. He puts people, situations,
and things in our daily paths that we’ll never completely understand. But He’s
always present.
During a busy day,
conversations can seem like just another notch on our to-do list. But when we
slow down, we listen differently. We catch the warmth in someone’s voice, the
meaning behind their pauses, and the way they choose their words. Conversations
become richer, more meaningful, and more connected.
Chen, the man who
rushed through life, the one who’s always too busy, the father who finds it
difficult to stop moving … is learning to be still.
Lord, thank You for Your patience with me.
You’re never in a rush when I come to You. Help me to listen for Your gentle
nudges more often and invite Your Spirit to have His way in me, bringing a
calmness I often desperately need. Amen