TURBULENCE

Without turbulence every now and then, your adrenal gland doesn’t get to secrete adrenaline, the fight or flight hormone. To live a turbulent-free life would mean living a “sealed off life” which is not living and is almost impossible. Life at its best is a shared experience of the sufferings and joys uniquely designed for you and others, a good recipe for turbulent times.

The pursuit of avoiding turbulence is a coping mechanism. BUT one needs to LEARN when to stand in the turbulence and when to run from it.

I am not an ocean kind of person. I wasn’t raised around water. There wasn’t even a decent size lake near me and my only male first cousin on my mother’s side drowned as a teenager.

Standing on an island shore of the Indian Ocean recently, I was mesmerized by the crystal-clear blue water – the waves ebbing and flowing to and from the shore. From the piers, I was enthralled with the sight of the sharks, fishes of all sizes and colors and sting rays chasing and playing with each other. My traveling buddies went snorkeling and saw an abundance of other marine life while I stood on the pier or shore. I could almost feel their adrenaline flowing, almost!

Occasionally, I have allowed the waves of an ocean to wash up to my feet and ankles, the sands may shift but I feel safe. Being safe teaches little about trust of self, or my ability to fight or stand in the waves. I am “sealed off” from the potential, possibilities, and power of the ocean. The expansive beauty of the ocean is not found in the water coming to the shore or in watching others snorkel or viewing from the pier. The waves are sent to invite one to come in – to get a feel of what the ocean has to offer.

When I have ventured out where the water is touching my kneecaps, all the things that happen when adrenaline surges, heart pounds and rapid breathing, happens to me as I prepare to take flight from the stressful situation. However, when I have allowed myself to sit in this turbulent state for a few minutes, my level of awareness of the texture and tone of the water on my body is heightened. I am unsettled but excited. The longer I remain in the water, the more settled I become. My foundation becomes firmer. I learn to brace myself against an oncoming wave.

Living with persistent elevated levels of adrenaline, of course, is unhealthy and leads to health maladies. Similarly, avoiding or never experiencing the “waves/turbulence” is just as unhealthy. Good ole “adrenaline” teaches one to regulate their response of flight or fight in the stressful or emergency situations of life. Sometimes I can stay in the ocean and fight and sometimes I turn and walk back to the shore, flight, to safety.

Philippians 4:13

PONDER THIS THOUGHT---Standing on the shore is a sure way to limit potential and possibilities.