Learning to Live Unhurried

Part I in a series

I've always looked forward to summertime as a season when life naturally slows down. The routines of the school year give way to mornings with fewer demands and longer stretches of unhurried time. It's a season for swimming, bike rides, hikes, or simply enjoying a quiet afternoon in the air conditioning. I find myself lingering over a second cup of coffee, spending a little longer in Scripture, and praying without constantly checking the clock.

But lately, I've realized that slowing down doesn't happen just because the calendar says it's summer.

The pace of life seems to have developed a rhythm all its own. There are always appointments to schedule, commitments to honor, decisions to make, and countless voices competing for my attention. Even when I intentionally slow my pace, I notice something stirring within me—a quiet discomfort that whispers I should be doing something more. Somehow, I've begun to equate stillness with falling behind, as though productivity has become the measure of a faithful life.

There have been seasons of my life when I wore busyness like a badge of honor. My calendar was full, my responsibilities endless, and my mind rarely quiet. Even in moments of rest, my thoughts raced ahead to the next thing, or what still needed to be done. Somewhere along the way, I confused being productive with being faithful.

The more hurried my life became, the more difficult it was to recognize God's voice.

I've come to realize that hurry doesn't simply rob us of time—it robs us of our awareness of God's presence. It drowns out the gentle whisper of the Father beneath the endless noise of notifications, deadlines, expectations, and even good ministry work.

I’ve also come to realize that Jesus never seemed rushed.

He had crowds waiting, sick people needing healing, disciples asking questions, and religious leaders challenging Him. Yet He continually withdrew to lonely places to pray (Luke 5:16). He wasn't driven by urgency but by intimacy with His Father. His pace reflected His trust.

I wonder how often my hurried spirit reveals that I trust my own effort more than God's guidance.  Can you relate?

In John 15 Jesus paints a picture that challenges this modern obsession with constant motion:

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." (John 15:4)

A branch doesn't strive or exert force to produce fruit.  It doesn't anxiously compare itself to other branches, or worry whether enough fruit will appear tomorrow. Its only responsibility is to remain connected to the vine. Everything else flows naturally from that connection.

Perhaps that is why hurry can be so dangerous.  Hurry tempts us to believe our value comes from what we produce rather than Who we belong to. It convinces us that fruit is something we manufacture instead of something God grows through us.

Sometimes I wonder if my soul feels dry because I've spent more time managing the branches than remaining connected to the Vine.  It’s a sobering thought.

The Creator of the universe has never asked me to carry the weight of being my own source of life. He simply invites me to stay close to His source of life: “Abide in me.”

Abiding means creating space where His voice becomes louder than the world's demands. It means choosing silence over constant stimulation, Scripture over scrolling, prayer over panic, and presence over performance.

The world celebrates hustle.  Jesus celebrates remaining.

The world rewards speed.  Jesus forms people through stillness.

The world says, "Keep pushing."  Jesus says, "Remain in Me."

Maybe the fruit I've been praying for isn't waiting on me to work harder but rather to stay closer to God.  And perhaps peace isn't found after everything is finished but while sitting with the One who has already finished the work on the cross.

As I continue learning to eradicate hurry from my life, I'm discovering that abiding is less about adding another spiritual discipline and more about returning to the relationship I was created for. Before I am a worker, a leader, a parent, a friend, or a servant, I am simply a branch attached to the Vine.

And branches don't have to force life to happen. They simply stay connected.

FOR FURTHER THOUGHT

I often wonder if I spend so much energy trying to produce fruit that I neglect the very rhythms that keep me connected to the Vine. My days can easily become filled with responsibilities, notifications, conversations, and endless to-do lists. None of those things are necessarily bad, but together they can crowd out the quiet places where my soul remembers how to abide.

Perhaps abiding doesn't happen by accident. Maybe it grows in the small, intentional rhythms that make room for God to meet us—a few moments of silence before the day begins, a walk without headphones, lingering over Scripture instead of rushing through it, or simply sitting in God's presence without feeling the need to accomplish anything.

Making time to spend reading and meditating on scripture is a great start, but there must be time to silence distractions and just abide. Creating an environment for attention and connection with God is sometimes easily overlooked. 

Consider: What are the rhythms in my life that keep me connected to Jesus? And what habits, however good they seem, quietly pull me away from abiding in Him?  

PRAYER

Gracious loving God, when I consider your ways and the gentle invitation that You extend to just abide, I am humbled. You are so loving and patient with my distractedness. Please replace my hurry with holy attentiveness. Show me what it looks like to begin each day by remaining with You before responding to the world's demands. Help me discover the rhythm of walking unhurriedly with You. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

ABOUT MARLA WALDRON

Marla Waldron is a wife, mother of three grown children, sister, teacher, and friend who recently retired after 35 years as a public school educator. Since her father’s passing, she has also cared for her 50-year-old brother, who has multiple disabilities. She is actively involved in her church, community, and The Dented Fender Ministry, where she participates in and leads small-group Bible studies. Through seasons of grief, caregiving, and self-doubt, Marla has learned to lean on God’s grace, hold tightly to His truth, and trust His guidance one step at a time. She and her husband live in Wyoming, Ohio.

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