Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Do the Hustle, Do the Hustle. Not.

Do the Hustle, Do the Hustle. Not.

Last updated on: May 4, 2019 at 10:53 am by Cara Meredith

Do the Hustle, Do the Hustle. Not. 2019-05-04T10:53:35-07:00 Cara Meredith

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

If there’s one thing my newly minted forty-year old self has taught me it’s that I don’t bounce back the way I used to.

As some of you know, I was a high school English teacher and then a non-profit outreach ministry director before I became a writer and speaker. And as I was saying to a friend the other night, I knew it was time to leave ministry when a week at camp yielded a week of recovery on the couch afterwards.

Pixabay: Stocksnap.

For a long time, I’d push myself full-steam ahead – after all, at the end of the day, if I didn’t do my job, who would? (Answer: No one. Answer: And that’s okay). Just as I didn’t want to let other people down, I didn’t want to let myself down. And became it was a role in the Church, I also held unobtainable standards for myself, because that’s what God would have wanted me to do and believe.

But God ain’t giving Energizer Bunnies any gold stars in heaven.

In fact, if life and scripture has taught me anything, it’s actually quite the opposite, for there’s a glory in the slowness and in the lack of hustle. There’s a glory in taking the time to stop and pause and refuel our tired, weary selves.

A couple of weeks ago, when a last-minute ticket to the Why Christian conference landed in my lap (or really, in my inbox, I should say), seeing that the conference was just over the bridge at the indomitable Grace Cathedral, I couldn’t not say yes.

Of course, I was just coming off of book launch season, of hustling and promoting The Color of Life, of entering into conversations and hoping that numbers and readers and reviews would rise. And if I’m honest with you, a big part of going to the conference meant knowing I’d have an opportunity to network with other authors and creatives – with the ones I knew might be able to help get my book out into the world.

I mean, I didn’t even think about the fact that the conference might actually feed my soul.

In a way, I’ve been part of the Christian machine – and a part of the machine, might I point out that feeds others, that leads others, that restores others – for so long that I forget how I need to be fed and led and restored too.

But I don’t think I realized this until I sat in Micha Boyett’s workshop, as she reflected on the God whose very existence is the opposite of hustle. Because when we remember that stillness leads to clarity and clarity leads to joy, then we also remember that “so much of the spiritual life happens when we stop to look and listen.”

Micha’s seen this in her own life, especially over the last four years, when her youngest son, Ace, entered her family’s life. Because of Ace’s very existence, Micha was forced to take the time to look and listen, even if it was the last thing she wanted to do …even if every bone in her writerly body thought she needed to keep up with the pen-to-paper Joneses.

Micha (far right), me (center) and our friend Liz at the San Francisco launch party and conversation for The Color of Life.

But if Micha were sitting right here with us today, I think she’d be the first to tell you that she wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, as for me, and maybe as for you too, I’m taking my cues from Micha and from my body and from the one (as Micha reminded me), who let his friend stay dead longer than normal.

And instead of singing along to the best of Van McCoy – do the hustle, do the hustle – I’m adding a little late 90s refrain to the end: Not.

Because that’s it. End of story. End of hustle. End of the machine. So long, farewell.

Might I encourage you to do the same?

xo, c.

—

Let me just say this: if you’ve not gotten your hands on Micha’s book, Found, please remedy that situation ASAP. It’s available everywhere books are sold! Also, if you’re still reading, say a prayer for the co-founder of the Why Christian conference, Rachel Held Evans, who died early Saturday morning, May 4th.

About Cara Meredith

Cara Meredith is a writer, speaker, and editor who writes at the intersection of spirituality and culture. A former high school English teacher and nonprofit outreach director, her writing has appeared in numerous print and online publications. The author of Church Camp (Broadleaf) and The Color Of Life (Zondervan), she holds a Masters of Theology and lives in Oakland, California with her family. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

April 30, 2019

Doing the Next Right Thing (Thanks Emily Freeman)

Next Post

May 6, 2019 How Rachel Held Evans Taught Me to Color Outside the Lines

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book reviews Uncategorized

Select a Month July 2026 June 2026 December 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 September 2023 June 2023 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 November 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz