When Life Feels Rushed and You Can’t Keep Up (The Slow Rise) Learning to Wait Without Pressure

Episode Description

In this episode, Laura reflects on waiting, unseen growth, and the quiet work that happens beneath the surface.

A gentle reminder that not all progress is visible—and sometimes the slow rise is exactly what we need.

Soul Care Questions

• Where in your life are you longing for clarity or movement right now?
• What might be forming quietly beneath the surface, even if you can’t see it yet?
• How could you offer yourself patience instead of pressure this week?

Scripture / Blessing

“Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him.” — Psalm 37:7

May you trust the timing of what is unfolding,
even when the waiting feels hard.

Closing

Listen slowly.
Let this settle.
Stay with what is forming.

If you’d like a quiet place to continue, At the Counter and the companion Soul Pause Journal are available here: https://amzn.to/4m1WRhM 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Welcome to At the Counter with the Baking Pastor. I'm Laura. This is a space for slow conversations, gentle coaching, and a little room to breathe. Nothing here needs to be fixed or finished today. So wherever you are, take a breath, settle in, pull up a chair. We'll start right here at the counter. I'm standing at the counter again today and there's dough resting nearby. It's not doing much. It's not impressive. It's just sitting there in the bowl under a towel. And if you didn't know better, you might think nothing was happening. But this is the part that matters. This is the slow rise. You know, we're not very good at slow. We like movement, progress, evidence. Something we can point to and say, see, this is working. But some of the most important things in life don't announce themselves while they're happening. Healing often looks like nothing. Discernment looks like circling the same questions. Growth looks like rest before it looks like fruit. And in baking, if you rush the rise, you don't get better bread. You get dense, tough bread. Bread that didn't have time to become what it was meant to be. People aren't that different. I notice this most when someone says, I just want to know what's next. Not because they're impatient, but because uncertainty is exhausting. There have been seasons when I wanted clarity before I had the capacity. I wanted answers before I had the space to hold them. And looking back, I can see now why they couldn't come sooner. Sometiming isn't a delay, it's preparation. We tend to assume that if we're not moving forward, we're stuck. But not seeing change doesn't mean nothing is happening. There are reasons where the work is invisible, where something is relaxingly quiet, where strength is being built without a sound. Sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is stay present without demanding progress. If you're in a season where answers are slow, where decisions feel premature, where clarity hasn't arrived yet, that doesn't mean you're failing. It may mean you're rising. And if it feels right, pause with this question. Where in your life are you measuring progress too quickly? And the second question to hold gently. What might be asking for patience instead of pressure right now? No fixing, just noticing. If this week brings up things you'd like help sorting through, coaching is one of the ways I support people in making sense of what they're carrying. There's more information on my website, daretoin.com, if you're curious. Thank you for spending time with me today at the counter. If something in this conversation stayed with you, you're welcome to carry it into the week. And if not, you can leave it here. Either way, you are always welcome back.