SPEEDING TRAINS
Watch out for speeding trains! Speeding trains race down the tracks of life,
faster, faster, ever faster. Speeding
trains are like racing brains, the
faster they go, the more they miss along
the way - incredible vistas,
gentle flowing streams, beautiful blue skies, quiet moments, sweet sounds of birds, the laughter of children. They miss
the fragrance of flowers,
children happily playing in parks, cattle grazing in fields, freshness after rain, a brightly colored rainbow in the sky, wishing
on a twinkling star, the sound of music,
the blossoming of trees, the silvery
moon at night, the glory of a rose garden, the chirping of crickets and the croaking of
frogs.
Speeding trains
run over everyone and everything in their path, shaking the ground and disrupting the peace and quiet solitude of
nature. Speeding trains leave a trail of
smoke behind as they speed down the track, always in a hurry! Beware little children! Don’t get close to speeding trains, STOP,
LOOK AND LISTEN! Stand back as they
speed by or they will run over you!
People in a hurry are like speeding trains, they
hurry, hurry, faster, faster, ever
faster! They never stop to smell the
roses or watch a sunset. They go so
fast they become careful and troubled about too many things. Like speeding trains, they lose their
grounding and direction. They leave
others behind, and run over them as they speed down the tracks of life.
When you see the world going faster and faster perhaps
you believe that you must also pick up speed, but you don’t need to be a
speeding train to get where you want to go. When you see others become speeding
trains, stay calm, take a deep breath and stand on firm ground, the amazing
grace of the Savior. The Savior’s grace
is sufficient for all who humble themselves and have faith in Him. Stop believing that everything depends on
you! Don’t become confused and believe
that you’re not going fast enough or doing things good enough. Who said that fast is good and slow is
bad? Faster isn’t better! More isn’t always more, less can be more, and more can be less!
Don’t let
others convince you that there is something wrong with you or the pace you are
going. It’s okay to take your time, to
walk slow, to be quiet, and be still!
Slow down and enjoy the ride, the peaceful, quiet moments and beautiful
things along the way. Let nature be your
teacher! It’s in the quiet moments that
we discover our own divine nature, the
stillness of our own soul. There we learn to know and love our self and
God. To know God, you must be still!
Stop running faster than you have strength! Just because everybody else is on a speeding
train doesn’t mean you have to be. You
can step off that train and go the pace you choose to set for yourself. You can learn to wait upon the Lord for
further instructions. Those who wait
upon the Lord will rise up with strength, even the strength of eagles. They learn to walk in the Lord’s time. Be
gentle with yourself and others. “The
last shall be first and the first shall be last”. Stop to help the weak and the slow, the poor
and the needy, and those who missed the train.
Racing brains are like speeding trains. They go too fast to recognize the best part.
They cannot focus on what they’re doing or where they’re going. They become exhausted and weary! Many of us have racing brains that won’t slow
down nor be still. We’re so busy trying
to do it all that we cannot see what is needful. We become so busy caring for the needs of others, we neglect our own needs. We get so confused we give our precious time
to the things that matter least. We race
here and there in the ‘thick of many thin things’ neglecting the more urgent
part, the nourishing and strengthening of our own soul. We lose the quiet stillness that connects us
to the spirit, and calms our troubled souls.
We forget to take time to nourish our bodies, our temple, as well as our
soul. We forget we need to rest when
we’re tired, drink a glass of water when we’re thirsty, eat something healthy
when we’re run down, call a friend who
is lonely, and ask God for help when we
are overwhelmed.
Many of us have become speeding trains, pushing hard
and running faster than we have strength.
We try to find the energy to go when we’ve run out of gas and running on
fumes! We’re afraid that the work won’t
get done on time, so we push harder and go faster. If we slow down and take time to care for
ourselves, he work will get done better
than work that comes from tiredness of body and soul. Nurtured and nourished people, who love
themselves and care for themselves, are able to run on heaven’s energy. They are like cars after a tune up - their
timing is better, they are more
efficient. They are more organized
because they receive inspiration and
help from above. They are able to
discern the essentials from the non essentials and the light from the
dark.
When the journey is over what will my life stand
for? Today, dear Lord, help me take care
of myself so I’ll have something to give to others. Help me not be deceived nor distracted from
fulfilling the measure of my creation.
Help me recognize and claim my spiritual gifts, and use them in thy
service, to make the world a better place.
Help me be gentle with myself and others, forgiving and kind to all
those I find on my path. Please help
me calm my racing brain. Help me stop,
look and listen, to the spirit! Please
help me believe in myself, in my true nature.
Help me be constant and confident, serene and strong, peaceful and
patient, just like the little engine that said, “I think I can, I think I can,
I think I can” as he climbed up the hill and over the top. Help me love, bless and nurture those who
are speeding trains and those who get run over by speeding trains, because they
need thy help as much as I do. Maybe
even more!
SUZANNE GILES STAGG














