Have you ever been on an airplane when weather or air traffic prevented you from landing and the pilot had to keep circling the area of the airport keeping you in a holding pattern? It's not a good place to be. Oh, you may be like my husband and be so thoroughly engrossed in reading a good book that you haven't even noticed that you've been flying around in circles for a half hour, but chances are that you are aware of what's going on and it's becoming somewhat annoying to you that you can't get where you need to be when you need to be there.
That has been the story of my life lately. There are just too many things going on at once for me, and it seems that I take one step forward and two steps back. I just can't get any traction and get my head above water. I feel as if I've been flying around in the same circle for many weeks, and I sense that I am running out of fuel.
When the plane can't land, there is always a reason: the fog is too thick, too much air traffic; one reason or another that it's not safe to land. Perhaps that's my life. Strange as it is to consider, perhaps my holding pattern is actually protecting me from what otherwise might be a crash landing.
My son has been in a holding pattern himself. He and his new bride will be moving out of state, but he has not secured a new job yet and so here he is in his own holding pattern until he can land that new job. Frustrating as it is for him, if he lands prematurely, chances are he'll crash into a work situation that will not make him happy, and so he needs to just bide his time and circle the area until the fog clears.
I remember when I took Justin to Providence, Rhode Island, to his new college "home". That had all the makings for my complete breakdown, leaving my only child so far away from me for the first time, fending for himself with no mother there to fuss over him. Well, mishap after mishap, dead battery, roadside assistance, buying a new battery, and waiting for an installation all led to his very late return to campus. By the time I dropped him off at his dorm, all I wanted was to get on the road. That took care of the crying all the way home since I couldn't wait to get out of there and get back to my home, sweet home. God saw fit to slap some inconvenience in my way so that my entire focus changed.
As anxious as Justin is for a new job and to settle into his new home with his new bride, it's stressful to leave the security and safety net of nearby family and friends and of a job you've had several years and know inside and out. As much as I want Justin to be enjoying his new life with his beautiful new wife and a perfect new job, it's hard not to have him so nearby and on hand whenever I need him.
I think I'm starting to get the picture here. Holding patterns are in our best interests and for our own protection. So there's nothing else for Justin and me to do but to each go grab a good book and await the word from our spiritual tower that it's time to land.
