Breathe Normally?
Over recent days and in the next few weeks, I have and will be in airplanes for hours on end. I used to love flying. I don't relish the thought of flying now. After being on the scene of the World Trade Center within hours of the attacks and the hassle flying has become, I view it, especially long flights with trepidation to put it mildly. Also, the thought of having my molecules rocketing through the sky at 500mph at 30,000 feet that is somewhat unsettling as well.
On my recent flights I have noticed that the pre-flight safety speech most of us seasoned travellers now ignore is not given by flight attendants much anymore. It is on video. You know the one I am speaking about. This boring speech where they show you how to fasten and unfasten your seat belts and show you the exits, restrooms etc. is now dramatized by actors. Everyone is neatly groomed, what a joke. Have you been on some red-eyes? Everyone is calm. Obviously, the director has not sat next to the lady I sat with on the way home from San Francisco a few months ago. I still have claw marks in my arm from her death grip when some moderate turbulence hit us over the Rockies.
The real laugher is the emergency scene when air pressure drops in the cabin and oxygen masks fall from the ceiling. Everyone is so calm and the guy sitting next to the little kid in the video just reaches over and gently fits the mask on the kid after his own is fixed. I have never met a little kid who would be sitting there like this one was, unless he was pumped full of sedatives.
The fact is if that happens people are screaming and we are all praying and making the sign of the cross on ourselves (even if we are not Roman Catholic). This happened on a flight I was on once right as we were landing. A laughing pilot joked when we hit the tarmac "Sorry, hit the wrong switch as we were landing." My reaction to his joke was, "Don't quit your day job." Then I thought, "Maybe he should quit his day job."
Well back to the video. The oxygen mask scene plays out and a calming voice tells you that in the middle of this chaos, with your life flashing before your eyes, that when you put your mask on, you are to "Breathe normally." OK....SURE...RIGHT!!!
I have thought much about that instruction lately. Breathing normally; what exactly is it? I have been thinking recently as I have moved through significant changes in my life and relationships with family, friends and God, "Breathe normally."
It is easy for us to go into panic mode when there are pressure changes. It is easy for us to scramble to hold our breath, shake our fists at God and the world and pass out from our desperation when the lifeline of grace hangs right in front of our face.
I have to admit, in recent days with some turmoil being experienced, I have almost held my breath in a temper tantrum style and dared the mask to fall. If we are all honest, we have many of those days in our lives. We hold our breath, follow our own safety instructions or even just ignore the prompting of the Spirit as the mask of grace is firmly in our reach.
It does not mean that we can't question, push for organizational change or even occasionally wrestle with God. Lord knows I won't stop with any of those things. I think to do so makes you soft and almost robot like in your response to spiritual things. God wants so much more in our relationship with Him than a robot.
There is a point, however, when you simply need to breathe. When you are hurt; breathe. When you are frightened and frustrated; breathe. When you are confused by the actions of others or an organization; breathe. When you feel as if the last bit of your resource is gone; breathe. The mask hangs in front of you.
The original question though is what does it mean to breathe normally? If you are like me, your theology tells you that there are natural rhythms to life that are placed there by the Creator. He designs a pattern of prayer and meditation, physical exercise and food (natural and spiritual) which is specifically designed for us. The Evil One tends to want to disrupt our designed pattern through broken relationships, stressful, almost impossible situations, disappointment with circumstances or people, disagreement with leaders who you believe to be less than aware of your circumstances or policies or procedures you just think are down right silly.
In times like those, we need to breathe normally. Retreating in the midst of our busy, stressful and hurtful situations is almost impossible. Going back to or taking time to discover the patterns the Creator has made specifically for us, having them become as natural as breathing, that is the key. Admittedly, it is not easy, and sometimes the mask falls. We don't want to grab it because in our stubborn, self-righteousness we place ourselves as the all-knowing ones. Just breathe. It sure does beat the alternative.
So here you go. Are you ready to share and strengthen the community of Christ? What are the things that help you breathe normally? Have you experienced times when you just can't breathe ? How do we discover what it means to breathe normally and allow the Creator to set a pattern for us? Am I crazy saying all of this? Does it sound like self-help? How can our breathing patterns be found in community?
As with all of these questions and all of my posts, I want to hear from you.
What do you think?
On my recent flights I have noticed that the pre-flight safety speech most of us seasoned travellers now ignore is not given by flight attendants much anymore. It is on video. You know the one I am speaking about. This boring speech where they show you how to fasten and unfasten your seat belts and show you the exits, restrooms etc. is now dramatized by actors. Everyone is neatly groomed, what a joke. Have you been on some red-eyes? Everyone is calm. Obviously, the director has not sat next to the lady I sat with on the way home from San Francisco a few months ago. I still have claw marks in my arm from her death grip when some moderate turbulence hit us over the Rockies.
The real laugher is the emergency scene when air pressure drops in the cabin and oxygen masks fall from the ceiling. Everyone is so calm and the guy sitting next to the little kid in the video just reaches over and gently fits the mask on the kid after his own is fixed. I have never met a little kid who would be sitting there like this one was, unless he was pumped full of sedatives.
The fact is if that happens people are screaming and we are all praying and making the sign of the cross on ourselves (even if we are not Roman Catholic). This happened on a flight I was on once right as we were landing. A laughing pilot joked when we hit the tarmac "Sorry, hit the wrong switch as we were landing." My reaction to his joke was, "Don't quit your day job." Then I thought, "Maybe he should quit his day job."
Well back to the video. The oxygen mask scene plays out and a calming voice tells you that in the middle of this chaos, with your life flashing before your eyes, that when you put your mask on, you are to "Breathe normally." OK....SURE...RIGHT!!!
I have thought much about that instruction lately. Breathing normally; what exactly is it? I have been thinking recently as I have moved through significant changes in my life and relationships with family, friends and God, "Breathe normally."
It is easy for us to go into panic mode when there are pressure changes. It is easy for us to scramble to hold our breath, shake our fists at God and the world and pass out from our desperation when the lifeline of grace hangs right in front of our face.
I have to admit, in recent days with some turmoil being experienced, I have almost held my breath in a temper tantrum style and dared the mask to fall. If we are all honest, we have many of those days in our lives. We hold our breath, follow our own safety instructions or even just ignore the prompting of the Spirit as the mask of grace is firmly in our reach.
It does not mean that we can't question, push for organizational change or even occasionally wrestle with God. Lord knows I won't stop with any of those things. I think to do so makes you soft and almost robot like in your response to spiritual things. God wants so much more in our relationship with Him than a robot.
There is a point, however, when you simply need to breathe. When you are hurt; breathe. When you are frightened and frustrated; breathe. When you are confused by the actions of others or an organization; breathe. When you feel as if the last bit of your resource is gone; breathe. The mask hangs in front of you.
The original question though is what does it mean to breathe normally? If you are like me, your theology tells you that there are natural rhythms to life that are placed there by the Creator. He designs a pattern of prayer and meditation, physical exercise and food (natural and spiritual) which is specifically designed for us. The Evil One tends to want to disrupt our designed pattern through broken relationships, stressful, almost impossible situations, disappointment with circumstances or people, disagreement with leaders who you believe to be less than aware of your circumstances or policies or procedures you just think are down right silly.
In times like those, we need to breathe normally. Retreating in the midst of our busy, stressful and hurtful situations is almost impossible. Going back to or taking time to discover the patterns the Creator has made specifically for us, having them become as natural as breathing, that is the key. Admittedly, it is not easy, and sometimes the mask falls. We don't want to grab it because in our stubborn, self-righteousness we place ourselves as the all-knowing ones. Just breathe. It sure does beat the alternative.
So here you go. Are you ready to share and strengthen the community of Christ? What are the things that help you breathe normally? Have you experienced times when you just can't breathe ? How do we discover what it means to breathe normally and allow the Creator to set a pattern for us? Am I crazy saying all of this? Does it sound like self-help? How can our breathing patterns be found in community?
As with all of these questions and all of my posts, I want to hear from you.
What do you think?
posted by Larry at 5:10 PM
6 Comments:
this made me think a lot. how are things in ohio? God bless you!
Well, I sure hope the mask will not fall on our trip to Greece and Turkey! Nice post a week before our trip. Thanks! LOL!
Seriously, I find I breathe easier in "suffocating places" if I have had time alone with God and if I have exercised. Both of these habits clear my head and the time alone with God has an added plus of grounding me in His word.
Our battle is not against flesh and blood ( people/organizations/ leaders) but against the rulers, authorities and powers of darkness, against all spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph.6:12
I remind myself of this when I feel like I am focusing my attention more on personalities than the deeper issues at hand.
Learning to breathe in tight places or difficult moments are as I see it ….walking in faith.
This was thought provoking and yet intentionally vague.... :)
See you on the plane!
seth, thanks for checking in.
carole, yes to all you said. i do so much look forward to some conversation. maybe someone will be able to talk some sense to my theology ;)
This is going to sound really simplistic, and I know that some will not get it or may even roll their eyes, but for me it quite often comes down to noise and distraction. I have a really bad habit of not allowing my mind to rest or be nourished, and it usually has something to do with the television and/or radio. I constantly have noise around me. I will not allow silence. When I’m in the shower I’m listening to sports talk radio over the internet. When I’m out and about I have my headphones in. And when I’m at home, the tv is on. Even when I’m battling bouts of depression, turning the noise off will almost always solve the problem and get me back into a right state of mind.
The ridiculous part is that, even though I’m absolutely aware of all this, I still continue to pump the noise into my head. If I had any sense at all, I’d get rid of my television for good.
tim,
getting rid of your tv? your fundamentalist roots show yet again. and you try to pass yourself off as a progressive ;)
Nice blogg Larry.I was checking out who had the same fav. books on their blogs as myself.That was how I came across your site. It turns out you liked Call to conversion and Mere Christianity ( Lewis is actually from my home city) and also Snow Patrol ( my wife actually Babysat for the drummer when he was a baby: His parents went to the same church as us and he learnt to play the drums there).
I look forward to browsing your blog at my leisure. We actually are the same age: mine 2.1.59 so it will be interesting to read how our different journeys have differed. Anyway God bless you.
Andrew
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