It seems that two brothers from New York City got tired of the hectic pace of city life. So, they decided to move to Texas where they bought a 50-acre farm in order to experience life at a little slower pace.
After a few weeks they decided they needed a mule to plow with so they got in their flatbed truck and drove down to a neighbor’s farm to see if he had a mule to sell. The neighbor told them that people in Texas didn’t use mules for plowing any more but he could not resist the opportunity to have a little fun with the city slickers.
He pointed to a watermelon patch and said, “I don’t have a mule, but I do have some mule eggs. Maybe you’d like to buy a couple and hatch your own. They said, “We don’t need that mule till the spring so we’ll do that. We’ll take two.” They bought the melons, placed them on the back of their truck and headed down the bumpy road toward home.
They were almost there when they hit a huge bump and one of the watermelons bounced off the back of the truck, hit the road, and burst open. Seeing what happened, the driver stopped the truck and turned around to retrieve the “mule egg.” Meanwhile, a big Texas jack rabbit came hopping by, saw the melon, and began to enjoy it. When the brothers saw the long ears and the furry back, they shouted, “Look, the egg has hatched. Let’s get the mule.”
Well, of course, the jack rabbit took off at lightning speed as the New Yorkers hotly pursued. They gave the chase everything they had, but to no avail. After about 30 minutes chase, they sat down exhausted and one of the men said, “I give up. We’re never going to catch that mule.” The other brother replied, “Me too, but I think it’s just as well, I’m not sure I wanted to plow that fast anyway!”
Down through the years, I heard many a speaker tell versions of this joke. Whenever they did, it was usually to emphasize that far too many of us are running around far too fast; and that most of us just need to slow down a bit. How right they were!
For my part, I have discovered that even when people are technically retired, they can still find themselves running a bit too fast and in need of a bit of a rest. And it was for this reason that my blog post today is a little later than usual. You see, my wife and I decided to take a little time off recently for some much needed R & R.
I’m sure glad we did; for in the process, I have been reminded of the value of a little down time. By design, a vacation allows us to get away from the daily grind in order to relax and recharge. And that principle applies at any and every stage of life - even when one no longer punches the proverbial time clock in the workaday world.
My father-in-law is in Heaven now. I miss him; but I know I will see him again one day. Meanwhile, I am reminded almost daily of a conversation I once had with him wherein he told me that he could never seem to get anything done in his retirement. By this he meant that he could never get caught up. There was always something else to do. Always somewhere else to go. Always someone else to meet.
He went on to say that he felt as if he got more done back when he was working than once he retired. By contrast, once he retired, there was just never enough time in any given day to get everything done that needed to be done.
At the time, I did not understand what he meant. But these days, I find that I can easily relate to his observation. It seems that the more I do, the more I find that I still need to do! I just never seem to have enough time to complete all my varied projects.
Lately, however, I have been asking myself to what avail all this activity amounts.
One of my favorite bands was the country rock super group, “Alabama”. With over 41 number-one records on the Billboard charts to their credit, and having sold over 75 million records, to this day, they are the most successful band in country music history. One of my favorite Alabama songs is titled “I’m In a Hurry and Don’t Know Why”. Here are the lyrics…
I'm in a hurry to get things done
Oh, I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why
Don't know why
I have to drive so fast
My car has nothing to prove
It's not new
But it'll do 0 to 60 in 5.2, oh...
I'm in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why
Can't be late
I leave in plenty of time
Shaking hands with the clock
I can't stop
I'm on a roll and I'm ready to rock, oh...
I'm in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why
I hear a voice
It says I'm running behind
I better pick up my pace
It's a race
And there ain't no room
For someone in second place
I'm in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why
Can you relate? I know I can. So could the Psalmist, who long ago wrote (in Psalm 127, verse 2): “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil…”
Jesus could also relate. He often went away to refresh and rejuvenate. The New Testament Gospels make this plain. (Cf.: Matthew 14:13; Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42). And no doubt it was because He understood the value of such retreats that He directed His followers to do the same. In the New Testament gospel of Mark, chapter 6, verse 31, He admonishes His followers to: “Get away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while.”
Over the last few days, my wife and I have been able to slow down, to get away, to rest, to renew, to reconsider, and to reprioritize. In the process, we have become living testimonies to the promise and power of renewal as found in the words of our Lord.
And now that we are back home, we have determined to spend a bit more time riding in the slow lane. Already, it turns out that the journey is a bit more enjoyable as we are proceeding at a little slower pace.
JOKE SOURCE:
Available widely on the internet. See, for instance:
https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=146507.
BAND SOURCE:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_(band).
LYRICS SOURCE:
https://genius.com/Alabama-im-in-a-hurry-and-dont-know-why-lyrics.
SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/psalms/127-2.htm;
https://biblehub.com/matthew/14-13.htm;
https://biblehub.com/mark/1-35.htm;
https://biblehub.com/luke/4-42.htm;
https://biblehub.com/mark/6-31.htm.
After a few weeks they decided they needed a mule to plow with so they got in their flatbed truck and drove down to a neighbor’s farm to see if he had a mule to sell. The neighbor told them that people in Texas didn’t use mules for plowing any more but he could not resist the opportunity to have a little fun with the city slickers.
He pointed to a watermelon patch and said, “I don’t have a mule, but I do have some mule eggs. Maybe you’d like to buy a couple and hatch your own. They said, “We don’t need that mule till the spring so we’ll do that. We’ll take two.” They bought the melons, placed them on the back of their truck and headed down the bumpy road toward home.
They were almost there when they hit a huge bump and one of the watermelons bounced off the back of the truck, hit the road, and burst open. Seeing what happened, the driver stopped the truck and turned around to retrieve the “mule egg.” Meanwhile, a big Texas jack rabbit came hopping by, saw the melon, and began to enjoy it. When the brothers saw the long ears and the furry back, they shouted, “Look, the egg has hatched. Let’s get the mule.”
Well, of course, the jack rabbit took off at lightning speed as the New Yorkers hotly pursued. They gave the chase everything they had, but to no avail. After about 30 minutes chase, they sat down exhausted and one of the men said, “I give up. We’re never going to catch that mule.” The other brother replied, “Me too, but I think it’s just as well, I’m not sure I wanted to plow that fast anyway!”
Down through the years, I heard many a speaker tell versions of this joke. Whenever they did, it was usually to emphasize that far too many of us are running around far too fast; and that most of us just need to slow down a bit. How right they were!
For my part, I have discovered that even when people are technically retired, they can still find themselves running a bit too fast and in need of a bit of a rest. And it was for this reason that my blog post today is a little later than usual. You see, my wife and I decided to take a little time off recently for some much needed R & R.
I’m sure glad we did; for in the process, I have been reminded of the value of a little down time. By design, a vacation allows us to get away from the daily grind in order to relax and recharge. And that principle applies at any and every stage of life - even when one no longer punches the proverbial time clock in the workaday world.
My father-in-law is in Heaven now. I miss him; but I know I will see him again one day. Meanwhile, I am reminded almost daily of a conversation I once had with him wherein he told me that he could never seem to get anything done in his retirement. By this he meant that he could never get caught up. There was always something else to do. Always somewhere else to go. Always someone else to meet.
He went on to say that he felt as if he got more done back when he was working than once he retired. By contrast, once he retired, there was just never enough time in any given day to get everything done that needed to be done.
At the time, I did not understand what he meant. But these days, I find that I can easily relate to his observation. It seems that the more I do, the more I find that I still need to do! I just never seem to have enough time to complete all my varied projects.
Lately, however, I have been asking myself to what avail all this activity amounts.
One of my favorite bands was the country rock super group, “Alabama”. With over 41 number-one records on the Billboard charts to their credit, and having sold over 75 million records, to this day, they are the most successful band in country music history. One of my favorite Alabama songs is titled “I’m In a Hurry and Don’t Know Why”. Here are the lyrics…
I'm in a hurry to get things done
Oh, I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why
Don't know why
I have to drive so fast
My car has nothing to prove
It's not new
But it'll do 0 to 60 in 5.2, oh...
I'm in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why
Can't be late
I leave in plenty of time
Shaking hands with the clock
I can't stop
I'm on a roll and I'm ready to rock, oh...
I'm in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why
I hear a voice
It says I'm running behind
I better pick up my pace
It's a race
And there ain't no room
For someone in second place
I'm in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life's no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why
Can you relate? I know I can. So could the Psalmist, who long ago wrote (in Psalm 127, verse 2): “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil…”
Jesus could also relate. He often went away to refresh and rejuvenate. The New Testament Gospels make this plain. (Cf.: Matthew 14:13; Mark 1:35; Luke 4:42). And no doubt it was because He understood the value of such retreats that He directed His followers to do the same. In the New Testament gospel of Mark, chapter 6, verse 31, He admonishes His followers to: “Get away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a little while.”
Over the last few days, my wife and I have been able to slow down, to get away, to rest, to renew, to reconsider, and to reprioritize. In the process, we have become living testimonies to the promise and power of renewal as found in the words of our Lord.
And now that we are back home, we have determined to spend a bit more time riding in the slow lane. Already, it turns out that the journey is a bit more enjoyable as we are proceeding at a little slower pace.
JOKE SOURCE:
Available widely on the internet. See, for instance:
https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=146507.
BAND SOURCE:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabama_(band).
LYRICS SOURCE:
https://genius.com/Alabama-im-in-a-hurry-and-dont-know-why-lyrics.
SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/psalms/127-2.htm;
https://biblehub.com/matthew/14-13.htm;
https://biblehub.com/mark/1-35.htm;
https://biblehub.com/luke/4-42.htm;
https://biblehub.com/mark/6-31.htm.