Turbulence

No one likes turbulence.

In any form.

When traveling, most of us pretend it doesn’t phase us. We try to keep the small chat going as the airplane rumbles and bumps across the sky. The sudden jerky shift side to side, front to back…… we smile and maybe even joke a little, but it can be hard for some of us to admit that we are a bit unnerved.

I spend those moments trying to imagine I am somewhere other than 30,000ft in the air zooming at a rate of speed beyond comprehension.

But have you ever really watched what those wings are doing? 😳

It’s more than unsettling.

Sometimes we know it is coming. That tiny unmistakable Ding! can be heard throughout the cabin and you can just bet the voice of the captain is soon to follow…..

“Ladies and gentlemen we are approaching an area of turbulence and ask that you return to your seats and secure your seatbelts.”

The seatbelt light illuminates.

Fine. We have been forewarned. We have been given instructions. Therefore, we are forearmed.

But what about unexpected turbulence?

How about when we are just traveling through life, soaking up the days, laughing and playing in the warmth of this beautiful journey and with no warning….

BAM!……TURBULENCE.

What then? No announcement, no alert system…. As far as we knew we could move freely about the cabin!!?? No one warned us to strap ourselves in!!

Well, turns out…they probably did…

If you’ve done much traveling you may recall hearing in those repetitive “safety instructions” a gentle reminder that unless it is necessary that you get out of your seat, you are otherwise to remain seated with your seat belts fastened!

It goes on…..in the event that we encounter unexpected turbulence!

Aaaaah…. so we were forewarned.

Forewarned that even under the most ideal circumstances, there is always a chance that turbulence lurks ahead.

Same applies to life.

It is a fact that life can take swift jaunts in directions that we could not have predicted. That hard times come upon us all and challenges don’t always send us a calling card ahead of time to give us a chance to prepare for their visit.

The first thing I lose when faced with turbulence is perspective.

My fears become irrational.

My thoughts become erratic.

My energy level diminishes.

Oh solid ground, where are you?

For me, I realize that part of the reason these moments hit me so hard is that I’ve spent most of my life in safe harbor, or sailing calm waters close to shore.

I, by design, am NOT a thrill-seeking-risk-taking person.

That seems strange given our recent life choices, but it has been my baseline for over 45 years! 😉

That said, when turbulence shows itself, and I feel a rush of panic or adrenaline it is sooooo unfamiliar that I tailspin quickly!

So can I get better at this?

On a recent car ride around the island, I heard a speaker sharing a long ago prayer of Sir Francis Drake the explorer.

You can find the prayer in its entirety online, but this passage struck me hard……

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

Wow.

Did he just ask to be disturbed? Did he pray for something akin to turbulence?

Raise your hand if you are ready to ask for turbulence?

Not this girl. You first! 😁😁

Praying to venture into life so boldly that stormy weather is sure to follow?

Why would I want to sail into the storm…where I lose sight of land??

Why?

To see the stars.

Aaaah, outside this safe harbor…..into the unknown….beyond the calm waters….there is more to see!

Immediately childhood memories of waiting for the stars to appear flood my mind. The magic of seeing them grow in number as the darkness chases away the day.

Even as a child I learned quickly that if I wanted to see more stars, I needed the absence of light. Even the small porch light held the stars captive from my eyes.

The further away from the house I walked, the more stars came into view.

Porch light off.

Deep in the backyard.

Alone.

There they are.

The stars.

Surely I can translate that childhood knowing into this phase of life? I can boldly march a bit further beyond the porch light? I can risk wandering from the comforts of my daily routine to see what appears…

…..maybe starlight in the form of an unlikely friendship? Someone whose very differences make us the same. 😊😊

…..maybe starlight seen in the freedom from fear as we embrace a new challenge and stretch our creativity!

….maybe starlight so brilliant that we have ample to share the light of our joy with complete strangers walking alongside us in this life.

So I am going to begin telling myself to stop waiting for turbulence to jolt me into my familiar, past pattern of fear, confusion and dred.

Instead, I will remind myself….

Keep letting go, and letting God.

***So here we are***

In the middle of the South Pacific.

About as far away as we could go.

Unanchored to the life we knew.

….and still there is more to see? There is more know? There is more to learn?!

You bet!

Just when I start getting comfortable with my uncomfortability, I am challenged to venture further.

Pushed to dare more.

Called to trust fully.

Praying that we each find a place in our life where we can stretch ourselves, take steps toward daring more boldly, venturing to wider seas, and getting comfortable not seeing the land.

To lose sight of the land, in order to see the stars!