Home Base — Ami Loper

Ways to Keep Life From Running Us Ragged

I was about seven years old when my three siblings and I got on a kick for playing tag. One of us would stand at a porch post, count by fives until we’d reached 100, call out, “ready or not, here I come!” and we’d be off. I was the youngest of four and it was fun, but challenging, to hold my own with my bigger sisters and, especially, my nearly 16-year-old brother! He would grow to be six foot, five inches and he was well on his way by then.

Repeatedly, during a game, I would sneak my way back to the porch post and call out, “BASE!” as I tried to catch my breath.

Now my life is surrounded by a gaggle of happy little people who get into games of their own. And when I’m not personally playing tag with them, I have often found myself becoming “BASE”! They run up to me, giggling and hanging onto me for dear life, breathlessly calling out, “BASE!” to their siblings who stalk around them, jovially threatening to pounce on them as soon as they aren’t in touch with me.

It got me to thinking how often life, not so jovially, threatens to pounce. I am often, way too gullible and unaware that “the game is afoot” and, in my ignorance, get tagged into running and chasing and left huffing and puffing.

I need to run to my Home Base. I need a chance to catch my breath, to refocus my energy, get some perspective and even get on the offensive with the things that are trying to run me down.

Now, I am sure that you have already perceived who my Home Base is: of course, it’s the Lord. He is my place of safety and shelter, my refuge in a crazy life. And, although I spend considerable one on One time with Him, praying, worshiping and studying His Word, it’s not enough!

Yes, you read that right. I need more. I certainly need more than anything compartmentalized to a given time of day and setting. I need those moments, when the world starts to spin out of control, that I can “turn my eyes on Jesus” and catch my breath.

And this is where my illustration breaks down. Thankfully, the Lord isn’t a fixed point. I don’t need to ever run away from Him. I need constant connection with my Home Base. More than running back and forth, I need the consistent awareness of His constant Presence with me. Any running I do is simply me reminding myself to turn my eyes back to Him whenever they are distracted away from Him.

Several years ago, the Hubs and I were going through a time when our stress was unusually high and, for me in particular, that meant my mind would spin on “what ifs” and “now whats” and “but whys.” It was then I began the habit that whenever I would feel my breaths shortening, my muscles tensing, my mind whirling, that I would begin to pray in the Spirit, as we are encouraged many times in the New Testament to do. Instantly, breaths lengthen, muscles relax, and my mind focuses in on how trustworthy my Jesus is.

That habit became a knee-jerk reaction that kicks in whenever my body responds in stress. And I am so grateful. I have many areas of my life that try very hard to get my head spinning. How about you? I have people, situations and issues that can pull me off track and seriously mess with my head.

I need to remember my Home Base, get wrapped up in His embrace and breathe a while.

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Jude 20-21

For more on being “Captivated by Love,” click HERE!