When the Planes Stopped Flying

 

The date, 9-11-2001 is imprinted in the minds of most people today. It was a day of enormous tragedy, shock, and horror for all Americans as we watched the Twin Towers in New York City brought down by a couple of airliners hijacked by some terrorists.

Because of the unknowns following the attack, the FAA, ordered all airliners within the continental limits of the United States to be grounded immediately, no matter where they were. In a short time there were no planes flying in the sky. The skies became quiet. Traffic was at a minimum because people were staying put to take in the on-going news of the shocking attack. It was eerily quiet most of the day, and a lot of personal introspection took place I would imagine. Prayerfully, we as a nation will never, ever, have to experience anything like that day again.

In our lives as men doing a constant juggling act of being men, fathers, husbands, providers, spiritual leaders, employees, and more, there are times when the planes in our head need to stop flying. We need quiet for our minds and soul. We need quality quiet, not for just a few moments, but for enough time for us to clearly hear and feel God. We know (hopefully) of God’s presence in our lives, but when was the last time we deliberately took the time to just be quiet to hear what He might be trying to say to us?

The ultimate example of the need for individual quiet for the purpose of listening to what God wants to tell us was set by Jesus. Throughout His ministry, in multiple times He simply went off alone to a quiet place to hear His Father.

Bottom Line Thought: Have you tried having a truly individual quiet time with God? What do you suppose you might hear from Him? Can you give Him some time, with no distractions, just you and Him? Can you ground the airplanes for just a half hour each day for that purpose?

HINT: If you get that far and you find that stuff starts wandering in your mind, simply sit with a hand facing upward on each knee. When the stuff starts in the mind, simply turn the hand over and emblematically “dump the stuff.”