Take a Slow Ride

by Martin Wile @LinesFrom God

Rarely did the speedometer register over twenty-five miles per hour in any old pickup he drove.

As long as I knew him, my maternal grandfather—Pappy we called him—never got in a hurry. He didn’t have to punch a time clock—he was a farmer. But he did have somewhat of a schedule. He got up at five every morning, dressed, drank a cup of Sanka instant coffee, and went to the wrap-around porch of his old farmhouse—the house he and my grandmother had once rented, but now owned. 

And there he sat in an old lawn chair. As he waited for the sun to top the pines that bordered his farmland, he smoked either Chesterfield or Camel non-filter cigarettes and swatted at flies that visited from two chicken houses that were nestled across the road and at the other end of a large flatland field. 

By the time the sun crested the tall, long-leaf pines, my grandmother had breakfast cooked—a breakfast that would test even the heartiest of arteries. After eating, Pappy might do a little plowing on his small red Farmall tractor, ride over to another farm he owned and check the crops, check his fence rows to make sure no hogs had rooted out, or drive two miles to town to Bert Sweat’s General Store where he and other farmers would gather for a Pepsi or a Coke and a pack of Nabs. 

Regardless of where my grandfather went, he took a slow ride in his pickup—and my cousin and I loved to ride with him. If we weren’t sitting on the edge of the truck bed, we were standing up behind the cab, letting the wind blow in our faces or throwing dead Magnolia tree blossoms at road signs. Innocent fun. But our favorite thing was sitting on the tailgate and dragging our feet on the asphalt as my grandfather puttered along. Something that was legal back in the day. 

When I think of these slow rides to town or to Pappy’s other farm, I think of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Good friends of Jesus who often had Him over for a meal or just fellowship. On this occasion, Martha busied herself preparing a meal.“But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing (Luke 10:40 NLT).

Mary, though, took a slow ride, which caused her sister to complain to Jesus. But Jesus soon set Martha straight. Mary’s slow ride benefitted her more than Martha’s fast-paced ride. 

COVID slowed us down for a while, but it only took a few months for the pace to pick back up. In our busy world, everyone wants a piece of us. Employers want countless hours. Others want our time, talents, and money. And the entertainment world wants any free time we have left over. All of this is compounded by advances in technology. Slowing down isn’t easy. In fact, it won’t happen unless we make a concerted effort.

My cousin and I could have easily found something else to busy ourselves with, but we chose the slow ride. And those lazy days around the farm have helped me understand the necessity of taking slow rides in life. Slow rides mean better physical, emotional, and—most of all—spiritual health. 

So, go ahead and take a slow ride. You won’t regret it, your family will appreciate it, and your enjoyment of life will move to a higher level.

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Take a Slow Ride - encouragement from Martin Wiles, @LinesFromGod on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Martin Wiles is the founder of Love Lines from God (www.lovelinesfromgod.com) and serves as Managing Editor for Christian Devotions, Senior Editor for Inspire a Fire, and Proof Editor for Courier Publishing. He has authored six books and has been published in numerous publications. His most recent book, A Whisper in the Woods: Quiet Escapes in a Busy World, released in December 2019. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, author, and pastor.