The
phrase came to mind as clear skies and acres of green pecan trees flew past me without
cheering me up.
It’s
an old adage that actually makes some sense. Not like “a rolling stone gathers
no moss.” Who would want to gather moss? Not like the old Polish adage, “angels
carry drunkards in their arms.” I don’t even know that means. No, this proverb
is one to keep - and I was surprised to realize how many areas in life I’ve
tended to forget.
All
this came to mind while I was literally running from my problems…
I
awoke at 3am with my wife moaning and covered in our 9 month old’s projectile spit
up. I cleaned the bed while she took a shower and then took a walk to get him
back to sleep. He slept about an hour, then didn’t go back to sleep. Later at
church, my 5 year old had perhaps the biggest tantrum I’ve ever seen her have.
In the middle of church. Because I didn’t draw a crayon unicorn for her. On the
right page of her notebook. I didn’t know the human body could bend in so many
creative ways, or the vocal cords of a little girl could growl like that. It went
on even after I brought her out of the sanctuary, and then most of the way home
– after church was over and everyone was done staring at us with disapproval. I
got home, disciplined the kid, and growled to my wife, “I’m going jogging.” And
I left, with the thought that maybe I should run off and buy a condo somewhere.
As
I tried to outrun my responsibilities the conviction hit me that I’m acting
just like my 5 year old. This is a temper tantrum because I’m impatient. I
don’t think long term. I’ve forgotten.
Slow
and steady wins the race.
Here’s
what I mean. I want good kids that sit through church now, but don’t want to
suffer through the years of actually training of them. I get mad at my kids (or
wife, or anyone else) because they’re denying me some pleasure (whatever it
happens to be) this moment, instead of thinking of the long term benefit (to
everyone: them, God’s kingdom, myself) of waiting on my own comfort and picking
up the ol’ foot washing kit to serve them. I don’t see the long term benefits
of my kids learning to go to church every Sunday, or the little chunks of
sermons we manage to hear and 5 minute snippets of fellowship we snatch between
kid dramas. I start dreaming about retirement because the short term misery of
some awful case makes me lose sight of the long term benefits to my family of a
good steady career. I get overwhelmed because the kids are too much, but I
forget that I hope to be looking at them with pride as teenagers and adults
accomplishing great things for God. How often do my sins stem from this foul
old root of impatience?
Slow
and steady wins the race.
One
wonders how many broken families might have been saved if we lived by that
adage. A long term vision kept before our mind’s eye makes a real difference.
One wonders how many people have wandered from their first love for God because
they’ve forgotten the eternal bliss of Heaven. Ultimately all of life is a
race, and rest in Heaven is the prize.
Slow
and steady wins the race.
I
picked up a curious, round stone from near a pecan farm, and wrote the words on
it with a pen. I plan to keep it in my work bag to help me remember that
someday, if I keep at it, I may own one of those pecan farms and populate it
with mature, well behaved kids that don’t scream at me and writhe like
demoniacs on the floor when I decline to draw crayon unicorns in church. There
is hope. It's hard to remember. It’s usually hope for the long run. But there is hope.
Slow
and steady wins the race.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weights, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising he shame, and is seated at the right hand of the the throne of God.” -Hebrews 12:1-2
