Piloting Faith: It was a perfect landing until...

A Word for the Day...

I was coming in for a landing. We had strong crosswinds so I was focused on keeping the plane on the centerline and floating long enough to bleed off speed for a smooth landing. We touched down lightly, the back left wheel, then the back right wheel, and then the front lead wheel. That's when the trouble started.

The moment the front wheel touched the ground, it started oscillating, causing the plane to shake violently. I braked by instinct, but, of course, that only made it worse. Then my training kicked in. I thought, " Cameron, let up on the brakes and pull back on the yoke. Relieve the pressure on the wheel, and let it find it's center." It worked. We had to taxi down the runway further than I had planned, but we made it off the runway without incident. I listed the plane for maintenance when we deplaned.

I find there are times in life when we are executing a "textbook" meeting, or program, or conference or service and at the last minute, when we think we have it made, something gets out of alignment. Our plans for a smooth execution come under immediate threat of failure if we don't act quickly. It's tempting to put the breaks on; to stop everything. But often I find that it's best to relieve the pressure and let equilibrium take over.

Think about the areas of tension in your life and work. Where do things feel like they are out of alignment? What would happen if you relieved the pressure - stopped controlling it, worrying about it, micromanaging it, litigating it, forcing it - and let it settle out on its own?

Just a thought...

- Rev. Cameron Trimble, author of Piloting Church: Helping Your Congregation Take Flight

Prayer for the Week

Lord God,

I give you thanks for the wise women and men, the ones who don’t take nonsense from anyone, the ones who know what needs to be done, the ones who understand that love is sometimes tough. May I, in my accumulating years, begin to recognize that I can become one too.

Amen.