A wise soul told me at the beginning of the year, “Make sure to slow down, or God will make you.”

Well, here I am, sitting in bed. Just me and my unwritten 5-page Iberian Literature paper.

It’s Friday. My whiteboard calendar is covered in scribbled plans.

8:00- Spanish class

9:00- sociology class

1:00- sit circulation desk in library

4:00- ballroom lesson

5:00- pack Operation Christmas Child boxes at church

7:00- go EARLY to Battle of the Bands

9:00- swing club!

11:00- movie night

But this morning, I finally stopped denying the fact that I need to rest. I wrote my professors, found a sub at work, and went back to sleep. My voice is on vacation, and it has no intention of coming back until it has thoroughly enjoyed some time off in dream land. However, I cannot sleep all day, and I cannot function in my verbose college community without the ability to speak. In any other circumstance, I would call my mom and tell her about my disappointment, but that’s obviously out of the question.

I find myself thinking over last night’s dorm Bible study. It was ironic, not being able to voice my commentary while studying verses about being slow to speak and taming the tongue. (If you haven’t it guessed already, we are reading James.)

Looking ahead to next week’s reading, I find James 4:13-15.

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

What a timely reminder.