Slow me down Lord! Ease the
pounding of my heart by the quieting
of my mind. Steady my hurried pace
with a vision of the eternal reach of
time. Give me amidst the confusion
of my day the calmness of the
everlasting hills. Allow me to know
the magical restoring power of sleep.
Teach me the art of taking oneminute
vacations … of slowing down
to look at a flower, to pat a dog, to
read a few lines from a good book.
Let me look up into the branches of
the towering oak and know that it
grew great and strong because it
grew slowly and well.
Slow me down Lord, and inspire me
to send my roots deep into the soil of
life’s enduring values that I may grow
toward the stars of my greater
destiny.

From “The Complete Book of Christian Prayer,”
The Continuum Publishng Company, New York, NY 1998