How are you?
This is the question we usually ask right after we say hello to someone we know. Generally, this question is met with a short, very surface level answer. Very rarely is anyone brave enough to answer it honestly. We don’t want others to know we are struggling. We don’t want them to know that we are not actually “ok”. We fear what others may think or say if they knew the truth so we try our best to hide behind our “I’m great, how are you?” and move on as quickly as we can before we say too much.
If you read yesterday’s devotional, you know that God has been teaching me how to slow down during this season of life. When we slow down, we give ourselves a chance to think and reflect. When we slow down, we give ourselves a chance to really look at different parts of our lives that we normally gloss over and say are “fine.” When we slow down, we give ourselves the opportunity to change direction. It’s impossible to change direction safely when you are going too fast. So, today, find some time to slow down and really answer the following questions honestly. Be as specific as you can be.
How are you? How is your spouse? How are the kids?
What are you thinking and feeling? What’s your biggest concern? What are your spouse and kids thinking and feeling?
What habits or routines have been created over the last two months? Are they helping or hurting?
What’s the “tone” like in life and in your conversations? Has it changed? For good or for bad?
What needs to change? Why does it need to change? How can it change?
Is there anything beneath the surface? How can I express it clearly and kindly?
If we read Exodus 18:13-27, we see Moses change directions at the advice of his father-in-law. See, Moses was trying to hear all the cases and disputes from ALL the Israelites on his own. That stresses me out just thinking about it. Jethro (awesome name by the way) saw that Moses was not doing well. He was worn out, tired, and struggling. All the disputes the Israelites had were not being resolved because it wasn’t possible for Moses to hear them all. Jethro saw that a change in direction in Moses’ life would allow him to be much healthier, and because of that, the Israelites would be much better off. A change in direction can make all the difference in our lives, but we cannot safely change direction without slowing down first to see where we are.
So, how are you?
