RUSH HOUR!

  ‘Tiger Beetle’ photo by Thomas Elliot on Unsplash.

The Tiger Beetle in the photo above moves so fast that it temporarily goes blind!
Does that tell you anything?  Is it perhaps an admonition from ‘The Book of Nature’ that we all need to SLOW DOWN!  Isn’t it true that we get moving so fast in our lives that we are blind to what is happening all around us.  This beetle is one of the fastest critters in the world, sprinting up to 5 miles per hour!  Its brain cannot keep up and it temporarily goes blind when chasing its prey.                                                    

5 mph for this beetle is 170 body lengths per second or relatively, in terms of body length, 10 times faster than our best human sprinter.  This beetle is also a perfect model for a ‘flying car’!  It can instantly change from a bug on the ground to a flying insect!  Its long legs allow it to pick itself up from the ground for a better view of its prey and enable it to be so insanely fast!  There are 2,600 species of Tiger Beetles found all over the world.

The beetle reminds me of the idiom, ‘STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES’!

‘The expression “stop and smell the roses” is not just about flowers or nature, but an encouragement to be mindful, take time for yourself and live life with deeper gratefulness for the world around us.  It is a reminder to us all to slow down and take notice of the world around us, and to be present in every moment.  It means consciously directing your mind to be aware and attentive to the present moment to be able to experience and enjoy more of your surroundings.’  ‘thesmellofroses.com’.

Even the scriptures admonish us to ‘slow down’!

Jeremiah 25:25 in the Message Bible says it this way:
‘Slow down. Take a deep breath. What’s the hurry? Why wear yourself out? Just what are you after anyway?’

And, I found this great quote: ‘Moving fast is not the same as going somewhere.’ 
Robert Anthony, psychologist.

Psalm 46:10 admonishes us to: ‘Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ 
Can you know God without being STILL?  How can we know Him if we don’t take time for Him and be still, by definition, not moving or making a sound, being in deep silence, calm and still?   

Jesus also said: ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’  Matthew 11:28-30.

Jesus recognized He and His disciples need a break from ‘Rush Hour’. 
Perhaps they too were becoming ‘blind’ like the Tiger Beetle by the speed they were moving in their lives! The scripture says, ‘Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, Jesus said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’  Mark 6:31.

If you want to see this incredible beetle’s speed, click on the following link:

‘The Tiger Beetle is Incredibly Fast for its Size’ on YouTube.

SLOW DOWN AND SMELL THE ROSES!!!