My friends always make fun of me for being late to everything.

It’s not intentional. Punctuality just isn’t one of my strengths. I’m either uncomfortably early to things or unfortunately late. It’s a hard balance.

It’s not that I’m trying to annoy my type-A friends. It just happens. (PS: If you’re reading this, I’m sorry for all the times I’ve made you late to things.)

Really, it’s a lifestyle.

When I went to Costa Rica last January, they called it Tico time. The locals were always late to everything. They would give us a time to be somewhere or do something and then not show up until hours later. At first, all of us were pretty annoyed and impatient. But after a while, we embraced it.

It’s kinda nice to live life when you’re not in a hurry to get from point A to point B. Just think of all the things you miss when you never take the time to stop and smell the roses!

Let me name a few:

Being able to appreciate the exact moment you’re in. The sights, the smells, the sound.

Talking to a stranger you cross paths with.

Changing your plans last minute because that’s okay and probably more fun anyway.

Stopping on a road trip to experience a new town or frolick in an open field.

Having a conversation with an old friend you ran into at Target.

Literally smelling roses (or some other kind of flowers).

Feeling the sun on your face (and in my case, knowing you’ll have more freckles as a result).

Resting

Feeling thankful.

I could go on and on.

My favorite song right now is "Not in a Hurry" by Will Reagan. If you haven’t heard it, you need to. Take a break from reading this and go listen. Some practical application of living life the way the song describes.

The very first verse starts out with the lyrics,

“Lord, I don’t want to rush on ahead, In my own strength, When You’re right here.”

I used to always think I needed to rush through certain seasons of life to get to the better ones. As if Jesus had something great for me, just not yet, and not now. I wanted to hurry up and get to those parts. But when you wake up every day and your only goal is to get through it as quick as possible, you miss so much. The truth is, Jesus has something for us every minute of every day. He’s an intentional guy. Why would he offer us this moment right now, this season, these years, for no reason but to get through them?

The answer is, He wouldn’t. He has a purpose for you and me in the midst of every single moment. He’s right here, right now.

So, I’m trying to live my life not in a hurry, because I don’t want to miss all the little things the Lord has for me today.

I guess sometimes I embrace that a little too much, and that’s why I’m always late. But if you ask me, it’s worth it.