A Snail’s Pace
The snail inched up the hill.
Slowly, slowly.
To the top.
The only place
she could see
sun rays color
grass blades.
Inch by inch, she made it.
She knew she would.
She smiled and stayed.
This was the moment
she knew each move counted.
Writing about nature slows things down for me. A simple, slimy bug hardly gets any attention, but when we stop to notice the seemingly insignificant, it can be the very thing we need to quiet our worries and be present.
If you know anything about my personality, I’m a future thinker and planner. In order to see and embrace what’s happening around me, I literally have to slow my body down in order to slow my thoughts down.
It gets really hard when I’m facing a conflict. Take for example, conflicts with my husband. I tend to bring things up that happened in the past, and we all know how that goes! Bringing up past mistakes affect my present perception; it makes conflicts more complicated. I often stamp past wounds onto future pages and cry, “It’s always going to be like this!"
Can I get a “what, what” if you’ve ever experienced this?
While this piece isn’t about relationships (that’s another story for another day!), it is a call to wake up our souls to the here and now. To focus on what’s at hand and mine each day for significance.
For a lot of us, right now feels pretty heavy. There are serious things from our past that keep coming up and even bigger things we want for our future. That’s why the practice of being present is so crucial. I’m not talking about empty presence though. I’m talking about leaning into the presence of a caring Father who is doing glorious works as we speak. He is the one who takes what we’ve been through, slows us down, and equips us for what’s to come.
Take Paul’s words —
"So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always.”
Philippians 4:8 (TPT)
The words “continually fix” or “fasten” are very active words. They call our attention to what God is doing right now. This especially helps when dealing with conflict, lofty dreams, or unmet expectations. These words pull us back to what is important and true. We have to make an intentional choice to fasten our thoughts to what is real and Godly.
Sometimes that means slowing our body and movements down as way to force our thoughts to follow. If you’re free to, you can practice right now.
I based the following journal prompt on Philippians 4:8. In this prompt, you can free write about the idea of being present then answer all or some of the questions. The goal is to embrace right here and right now. Don’t worry about making sense, just write! If you need extra help, just imagine the pace of a snail. Slowly, slowly, inch by inch you’ll make it through.
Journal Prompt:
What worries or questions are flooding your mind right now?
What is true in this moment?
What kindness do you need to experience right now?
What is holy about your day that will lead you to worship?
Being Present (Example):
There is no pressure to be anywhere but here.
There is nothing that needs to be solved in this moment.
God has made me aware of my anxiety. That is His kindness.
Joy is holy. I see joy in my son and husband.
God, thank you for restoring joy even when things are messy.