Stop.

Photo by Wyndy Sidney (Creative Commons)

This post was originally blogged by Elizabeth Hyndman on her blog here. She was so kind to let me reblog it here. You can follow Elizabeth on Twitter @edhyndman she is one of the most entertaining writers around.  

Ever notice how people keep doing stuff? The people around me are: writing books, reading books, quitting jobs, starting jobs, getting married, having babies, moving to California, traveling the world, writing the very thing I had planned to write, starting churches, having babies (did I mention that yet? It keeps happening), starting relationships, growing up, graduating, going to camp, starting school, getting internships, training for marathons, watching movies, making movies, making podcasts, starring in comedy shows, getting published, being real-life missionaries, living in other countries, becoming famous,

and I just keep wishing and hoping everything will just

stop.

Stop, so I can catch up.
Wait for me.

I’m trying to catch up, running with my arms full of plans and books and words. They’re tumbling to the ground as I sprint after everyone else:

write a book and read ten. Plus the Bible.
Oh, the Bible!
get fit and go to the eye doctor
and probably also the dentist because, y’all, I chewed all the way through my teeth-grinding-guard a month ago.
book tickets, write articles, write blog posts, read blog posts, read articles.
I’m only in the second season of Friday Night Lights and I’m still trying to cope with missing Lost. I don’t know where Thor is from, what the deal is with the Hulk, who Captain America is, or what happened to Iron Man in movie two, and while it’s completely unnecessary, I saw The Avengers and now I’d like to know.
And getting back to important things, there are relationships,
and churches,
and jobs,
and school,
and community.

Then I stop. Because it’s impossible for me to continue holding all these to-dos while chasing after everyone else. I only end up dropping things. Sometimes the important things–usually the important things. I realized that, and stopped, which was good. Only, now I’m further behind.

Because no one else stops. They’re not supposed to stop. This is what we’re made to do. Living is a forward motion.

So, pardon me, as I begin to unpack the stuff I’ve been carrying, sorting through the importants and leaving the unimportants behind. Or maybe getting them mixed up for a bit and having to retrace my steps. I may never catch up.

It’s the learning to be okay with not catching up that I have to work on.

What do you need to stop? Will you please share in the comments? Thanks!