Karen:     So, you’re traveling by airplane and the pilot says…

David:     I have some good news passengers. Because of near perfect weather conditions, we figure we are scheduled to arrive at our gate a good 25 minutes ahead of time.

Karen:     And everyone goes, yay!

David:     Yeah, they do. I’ve actually been in a situation like that.

Karen:     That sounds so good, especially if you’ve been on a long international flight. But then maybe a half hour later, the captain says…

David:     You have maybe noticed that we have been flying in a circular pattern for a while now. That’s because another plane is presently parked at what eventually will be our gate. Unfortunately, it’s just now beginning to load passengers, so we are going to be up here for a while yet.

Karen:     Now, the frustration on being caught in one of life’s holding patterns is not limited to flights. In fact, life itself can sometimes seem like one big holding pattern. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today.

Intro:      Welcome to the Before We Go Podcast featuring Dr. David Mains and his wife, noted author Karen Mains. Here’s David and Karen Mains.

David:     Let’s begin, Karen, by giving examples of what we mean by being stuck in a holding pattern.

Karen:     Oh, holding pattern. Yeah, I have a really good illustration. I have a book on listening groups that I’ve been writing for a decade or so. And I just cannot get that book done. So, that’s my holding pattern. And I feel extraordinary frustration in that. I think a lot of people have holding patterns of one kind or another in their life.

David:     I am feeling a little bit silly because when I heard the term holding pattern, the first thing I thought of was Bill Murray’s movie.

Karen:     Which one is that? Which one are you talking about?

David:     On the Groundhog Day.

Karen:     Oh, Groundhog.

David:     He lives this terrible routine. Everybody doesn’t like him. And so whatever powers it be, make sure that he has to live it over the next day and see that he does write. That he never does try, just goes on and on. Repeating, repeating, repeating, which is the holding pattern that he has to break before the movie can end.

Karen:     This is just a note to our listeners. If we watch that, you know, stick a video in and watch it again, you start laughing with the credits.

David:     I’m laughing even now thinking about it. Anyway, I’ll be more serious, okay? Scripture, a holding pattern. I think of way back in the book of Genesis, Joseph. Just an incredible young man.

Karen:     Right. Beloved by his father.

David:     And given promises by God.

Karen:     Right.

David:     Through dreams or whatever. But it seems like now that he knows somewhat of who he is, everything goes the opposite direction. And he’s sold by his brothers into slavery, goes down to Egypt, put into jail before long, and there’ll be one good thing and then a terrific bad thing. And you just wonder, didn’t he think, “Golly, what’s happening? I can’t get out of this rut.”

Karen:     What happened to that promise of God? Yeah.

David:     And I’m in a holding pattern that’s going the opposite direction.

Okay, illustration today. I would say there are people who are in holding patterns. Some have a disease. How did this happen? And there’s no way to break that cycle. There are people who are put in prison like how Joseph was.

Karen:     The American who’s in a Russian prison right now. I’m sorry, I can’t remember his name.

David:     It’s the Wall Street Journal. Reporter.

Karen:     So, the popular newscasters have been highlighting his situation. And I felt very led to pray for him. And I think that we as Christians should pray for him.

David:     I think, Karen, that there are people who are incarcerated here in America. In fact, you read the story. Somebody served 10, 12 years, whatever.

Karen:     And they decided that he wasn’t guilty of the crime. And so, then they’ve been released, and the news has picked that up again. But I feel like there are perhaps many, many others who are in the same circumstance.

David:     I think that in those settings, there is this temptation to say, “God doesn’t care for whatever reason I don’t know. He’s ignoring me. My concerns mean very little to him.”

So, we started to put together a key sentence as to what we would share with our listeners. And it actually became kind of a complicated sentence. But I’ll read it and I’ll try to go slowly. Okay?

When experiencing an interminable holding pattern in your life, believe that God is totally aware of what is going on. And he truly hears your prayers, empathizes with your concerns. And though you can’t always see it, be convinced that he is working on your behalf.

Karen:     I think that’s choosing to be convinced. It’s choosing to believe.

David:     I agree.

Karen:     This is a conscious effort on our behalf. And I think there are all kinds of, as you’ve said, people who are in holding patterns, particularly as we come out of these three years of the COVID isolations and the changes that’s made in our society. And people working at home, because they didn’t want to expose one another. They’re just a huge shift that’s gone on in our culture. And I think there is a lot of frustration.

David:     Do you think that this is a very common thing for people who are older?

Karen:     Oh, don’t you think so, David?

David:     Yeah, I’m experiencing this sense of, I can’t seem to move out of this circling in the airport and get to where I was supposed to be. And then I have to remember that I’m not who I was when I was 50 years old or 60 years old. And it’s a struggle for me.

Karen:     And no one knows who you are anymore. I mean, not that that’s a big thing, but that was part of your life. You were well known, and you could just go someplace, and you would have people who would gather to communicate with you and you’d share with. So, that part of our life is really, really done.

David:     Yeah, and you’re wondering who am I? And more than that, who is it you want me to be now at this point in my life, Lord? So yeah, it’s a struggle.

Karen:     Well, I feel the same way about my writing. I mean, there was a time when my books and my writing were known, and at least in evangelical Christian circles. And I had a young woman say to me recently, “You used to be that everyone in evangelicalism knew who you were, but no one knows who you are now.”

She wasn’t being nasty. She was just pointing out a truth to me. So, we’re dealing with this in our personal life at this point in time.

David:     So, I want to go back to that sentence once again.

When experiencing an interminable holding pattern in your life, choose to believe that God is totally aware of what’s going on, and he truly hears your prayers. He empathizes with your concerns, and though you can’t always see it, be convinced that he is working on your behalf.

It’s the same thing that I would say if I were preaching a sermon on Joseph. Here’s a big lesson out of Joseph’s life, and it must have been a painful lesson. But he continued even as he should have, and he is in scripture as a remarkable example of how we should live.

Karen:     I think that one of the things that happens to me, I don’t know how this happens, but as we start to frame a podcast and we choose a theme and we ask ourselves, this is something that contemporary people are dealing with, not just out of our private lives, and we say, “Yes, it’s worthy to be a topic.” Is that I began to get little clues or little phrases of music. So, I woke up yesterday morning and the phrase of music that came to me was, “Precious Lord, take my hand.” I will spare everyone my vocal interpretation. Not very musical, but “Precious Lord, take my hand. Lead me on. Help me stand,” I believe, is what. “I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.”

So, we have an Alexa here where you can say, Alexa, play me the lyrics to the song, Precious Lord, take my hand. So, two came up. One was Mahalia Jackson, and she just takes her time belting that thing out and you really feel it. And then the other was Randy Travis. I don’t know his music as much, but he had a version of precious Lord, take my hand. So, I’ve been putting that on the Alexa and just listening to those lyrics for the last few days, they were beautiful.

David:     You ran them off so I could see them and I’m going to get to that, but I just would add to what you’re saying. When we say choose to believe, that doesn’t mean necessarily that you say, “I’m going to read scripture today and I’m going to believe it.” You know, it may be that you choose to believe by letting a song be a part of your day. I have never been asked, Karen, my entire life to sing a solo in church.

Karen:     Oh, my goodness, I’m so surprised.

David:     That’s not very nice because it reveals to everyone why I’ve never been asked. But you know what? I have found that I do have an audience when I like to sing and it’s very meaningful to me. It’s when I drive the car and I hear myself sing.

Karen:     Anyone else is in the car with you?

David:     And sometimes I choose to believe that what those songs say is a message from God to me and he’s saying, “Now listen to what you’re singing.” He’s not making comment whether it’s good or bad. And I don’t worry about it because it used to be when you saw somebody singing or talking in the car, you’d think that it’s a little bit nutty, you know. But now you never tell whether somebody’s on a phone or what they walk down the street and they’re talking. So, it’s kind of normal if somebody pulls up beside me and I’m singing alone. I don’t worry about it anymore. But I find that I am able to sing, which I’ve never done before. It’s not a great voice, but it’s a voice I kind of like because it’s me. But I’ve found that I can sing songs and I can sing the song that you’re talking about because I’ve heard Mahalia sing it now and I’ve heard Travis sing it. It’s very nice and it’s very simple, but it’s a way of encapsulating in my life what I’m wanting to do and that is to believe that God is aware of what’s going on and he cares for me deeply and so on. So, I’ll read those words with that background and spare the people hearing me sing it, but knowing that I have sung it, I will continue to sing this.        This is going to be a part of my life, which hasn’t been before.

“Precious Lord, take my hand. Lead me on. Let me stand. I’m tired. I’m weak. I’m worn. Through the storm, through the night. Lead me on to the light. Take my hand, precious Lord. Lead me home.

When my way grows drear, precious Lord lingered near. When my life is almost gone, hear my cry, hear my call, hold my hand lest I fall. Take my hand, precious Lord. Lead me home.

When the darkness appears and the night draws near and the day has passed and gone, at the river I stand, guide my feet. Hold my hand. Take my hand, precious Lord. Lead me home.”

It’s become a song I’m going to use for a while and I’m encouraging people, maybe in a more simple assignment, get a song that you want to hold on to as you go in this interminable holding pattern. It doesn’t make sense to you, but just kind of be defiant in that time and say, “God, here’s what I believe you’re saying to me, and I’m putting it into my life and wanting to be the person you would have me be.” I think that message was for somebody who’s listening to us. You think?

Karen:     I agree. I think there are a lot of people who are at that place right now in my life.

David:     Yeah.

Outro:     You’ve been listening to the Before We Go Podcast. And if you would like to write to us, please send us an email at the following address, hosts@beforewego.show. That’s all-lower-case letters, hosts@beforewego.show.

If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, please remember to rate, review, and share on whatever platform you listen. This podcast is copyright 2024 by Mainstay Ministries, Post Office Box 30, Wheaton, Illinois 60187.