SHIFTING GEARS

As we quickly approach the fall season, I am reminded of the change in the daily pattern that comes with the seasons. Summer is a time when people spend special moments with family and friends, enjoying cookouts, picnics, the beach, swimming, camping, and the like. Kids have delighted in the weeks of summer vacation away from the classroom setting and parents, if like me, have enjoyed the slower pace that comes with school’s summer break.

As with most things though, the situations of life are prone to change. As surely as summer changes to fall, fall changes to winter and winter changes to spring, we are required to shift gears to adapt to the changes taking place around us. I will soon be getting up earlier to get my kids off to school. Our family will need to adjust our schedules to accommodate the sports and academic programs in which our kids participate. Days will become shorter which means less time to take care of the outdoor chores, such as mowing the grass and lawn care work.

I believe you get the idea that as we keep moving along the timeline of life, we have the need to shift gears. ‘What does that mean?’ you might ask. Well, if you ever drove a vehicle that did not have an automatic transmission, you know that you needed to shift gears manually to increase or decrease speed. When we are told to, “Put it in fifth gear”, it usually means to pick up the pace as opposed to “downshifting” to a lower gear to slow down.

Now we have been living our lives this way for many, many years. It’s nothing new. Just like when we drive a vehicle with a manual transmission and clutch, the need to be ready to “shift gears” in life is vital. If you are driving a tractor-trailer truck and fail to downshift on a steep incline, you could lose control which could lead to catastrophic results. The same is true in life. Sometimes we are required to slow down and sometimes there is a need to get busy.

It was no different in the days of Christ. Jesus himself experienced a lifestyle that required him to “shift gears”. In Mark 1, Jesus was just starting his ministry and as he preached the Good News, healed the sick, and cast out demons, word of these wonders spread like wildfire. Starting in verses 32, the crowds of people were so desperate that they even came to Jesus during the evening. This was very unusual

and unorthodox. In the culture, evening was a time to unwind, dine and relax. Even so, Jesus “shifted gears” and healed those who were sick and possessed, regardless of the time of day.

Now here is the variable to the account. In verse 35, Jesus “shifts gears” again and slows down by finding a place of solitude before daylight, early the next morning in order to pray. Jesus shows us that even he needed to be prepared to elevate his efforts when needed, but to also decelerate when it was time to embrace the special moments in life.

I believe that we can learn a very important lesson by the example that Jesus teaches. Life has its moments where it is necessary to pick up the pace and give the extra effort. Likewise, we are granted moments to take time to slow down and “smell the roses” along life’s way. What makes the difference is to know when to “shift gears”.