Words of Hope: Slow the Bus Down
During staff prayer, we selected words we needed for our week. A few staff members chose the word, “Energy.” One of the people I love is a man named Danny Beard who worked at NBC Camps for many years. Coach Beard had this special way of saying “ENERGY” which made everyone chuckle. He and Dad often talked about the importance of energy.
Energy comes from the Greek and means “living force” and it is a condition that describes our capacity to do work. Dad encouraged me to always remember energy is finite. Where is my energy going? In crisis, energy becomes a significant issue. We talk together as a staff as we get closer to summer. We have so many sold-out camps once again, which is a true gift, but this can cause an energy crisis. One member made a decision that wasn’t a strong one. We talked together as a staff. The person was fatigued and made the expedient decision instead of the best. Thankfully, it is a decision we can correct. As we talked as a staff, we committed to being vigilant about decision making and interactions when we are tired and depleted. I think this was why Jesus underwent so much testing in the wilderness before his ministry. He knew decisions would become more challenging when His energy was down or in the wrong place.
If Dad were in my office right now, he would counsel me to spend dedicated time each morning filling up with prayer and time with God. He would say, “Slow the bus down.” Which was his favorite phrase if I was amping up. He would ask me to intentionally chart where my energy was going, toward things that elevated my fear or my peace? Toward things that brought true rest or just wasted time. Toward irritation and anger or toward peace and goodwill? Peace, joy, and hope are gifts God has for me as I use my energy to turn to Him. I use my energy to sing a song, to give praise and thanksgiving, and my spirits are renewed.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. – Psalm 23
