I recently finished the much-awaited book The Ruthless Elimination of a Hurry by John Mark Comer. I knew John Mark in high school, and it’s been so neat to see what God has done in and through him. This latest book of his is SO powerful and an important word for our distracted and hurried generation.
This is a book cholk-full of Biblical and practical wisdom. He touches on simplicity, practicing sabbath, unhurry-ing, becoming a person of love, and more. I’m planning on rereading it again soon!
And one of the great perks of this book is that at the end of the book, he lists a website where you can download a workbook to be a companion to the book. It is designed to help us flesh out some changes we want to make in regards to our schedules, closets, belongings, free time, etc.
One immediate takeaway I had was giving myself permission to be choosy about my schedule. My husband and I are raising and homeschooling 5 kiddos 9 and under, and it’s a blessed privilege. But it’s exhausting. Demanding. Non-stop. And I’ve had to learn this past year the art of saying one word: NO. I’m a 2 on the enneagram – I’m “the helper”. If someone is in need, I’m there, to the best of my ability. So I often over-extend myself. I’m still learning how to keep a healthy balance (I don’t prefer that word, though). So, I am in a season of learning how to craft my days for me and our family where we can all thrive, have space for being aware of the presence of God, and not hurrying to and fro to activities, play dates, errands, etc. All of those things are good, necessary, even. But too much of a good thing is NOT good. As the saying goes, “good is the enemy of the great”.
The other takeaway I had was simplifying my closet and wardrobe. This is a process, but I’m enjoying it. My friend, Jennifer Scott (The Daily Connoisseur) birthed the idea of the “10 Item Wardrobe”. I will post more about this process soon, in other posts. But if you’re wanting to simplify your life, simplifying your wardrobe is an easy and fun way to start. If you’re like me, I tend to be a “now let’s change EVERYTHING!” person after I’m inspired and fired up about something. Go. Slow. It’s a process. And don’t hurry… (ahem)
I encourage you to give it a read, dear friend! Here’s a favorite quote, which is what formed the premise of this book:
Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.
-Dallas Willard