Recently I took a trip to San Fransisco. I really enjoyed the trip for the most part. Learned new things. Connected with people on a new level. Was placed exactly next to the people God knew I needed to be next to on the flights. Which of course should be no surprise. He’s always got a plan even in the humdrum details.
So many of us travel by plane every year – and the ritual of the pre-flight checklist is always the same. Pretty Boring. Routine. I admit, I was doing what I could to tune out the flight attendant giving her memorized pre-flight speech for probably the 100,000 time in her career. I looked around and saw most people were joining me in the “twilight zone” – reading, checking last minute text messages, getting settled and comfortable. Suddenly, there was something she said that caught my attention. Two things in fact. I couldn’t believe there were actually life lessons in the pre-flight safety instructions. Who knew?
I’m sharing the second lesson first. If you’re a first time flyer, it’s not exactly comfortable when you hear, “In the unlikely even of an emergency and loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will fall from the compartment above you.” Who wants to think about that? It’s ok, very quickly, we all become “seasoned” travelers – at least enough to zone out the rest of the instructions comfortably. We pass over the piece of the statement where the practical lesson for everyday life comes in. If we listen carefully, the flight attendant continues to give us instructions for best use of our oxygen masks. No, not the part where she says, “place securely over your nose and mouth, and secure it in place,” although I do highly concur, for best use be sure you secure it to get your OXYGEN! I mean, hello!!!!!! Its vital if you want to LIVE! All kidding aside, the lesson comes in when the flight attendant says, “Be SURE to put on YOUR OWN oxygen mask BEFORE assisting others.”
You know, selfishness, self-care, self, self, self, gets a BAD wrap in the Christian community. Many people have become martyrs on the alter of self-sacrifice without good cause in the name of Christianity. Self is denounced in the church and labeled as nothing but sin. Certainly it can turn into sin, or be used as sin when used inappropriately – but how much more effective can each of us be on this earth, in the church and to those in and around our own life IF we actually were to put on our own oxygen masks first?
Think about what happens in that situation on the plane. Emergency. Masks fall. We selflessly turn to help that passenger sitting next to us, first. Our own life doesn’t matter. We will gladly die a hero. Maybe it’s a stranger, but possibly a dear loved one. No, we couldn’t bear to think of not taking care of them first. Of course we put on their mask first. Especially our babies. I’d die for my children, as I know any parent would. However, we run the risk of running out of our own vital life giving oxygen making that decision in that order. Do we have anything left to give to the person on the other side of us? What if that person on the other side needed our help as much as the first person? What if it was our second child? Oh, how do we choose between the two? Impossible, right? Wait! If we DO stop to take care of our self FIRST – and put on that life giving oxygen – will we not increase the very chance and opportunity to assist more than just the one? YES! Once our needs are met (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually) then our circle of giving/helping/assisting/caring, etc CAN be enlarged and we find that we can do MORE than we could if we just sacrificed our all for only one.
I believe Jesus knew and understood this principle too. He got alone with Himself. Just Him and His Father. He practiced self-care. He got alone. To rest. To pray. To quiet His spirit. To listen. To cry out. To be heard. To be loved. He went away from His Disciples, from family, from the crowds of many who needed Him.
Christ, does set an example for us to take time to be “selfish.” Let’s stop giving “self” a bad wrap and realize that we can come back stronger, refreshed, and ready to go for the many demands on our life and from the people in our life – once we have taken care of ourselves.
What is a sacrifice you make for others that detracts from your ability to actually give back MORE to many more others? What ways can you change/alter/improve this action or decision to make it better for not only you (first) but for everyone who’s life you may touch in the future?
What can you do today or in the near future for yourself?
What is something you enjoy doing?
What is something you have always wanted to do?
Dream. Rest. Make Plans.
Take action.
Take time out!
For you!
Be blessed!
