Coping With Atmospheric Conditions

Coping with Atmospheric Conditions

Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Galatians 5:1

We had just finished speaking at a camp in the San Juan Islands when a small plane buzzed overhead and landed on a nearby airstrip. A few minutes later the pilot was flying us over the islands of Puget Sound, and we were approaching the lights of a local airport. At this point, the pilot shared a tip with us. “The most important thing about landing is the attitude of the plane,” he said.

“You mean altitude, don’t you?” we asked.

“No,” the pilot explained, “the attitude has to do with the nose of the plane. If the attitude is too high, the plane will come down with a severe bounce. And if the attitude is too low, the plane may go out of control because of excessive landing speed.”

Then the pilot said something that got my attention: “The trick is to get the right attitude in spite of atmospheric conditions.” Without knowing it, our pilot had given us a perfect analogy for creating happiness in life, and particularly in marriage—developing the right attitude in spite of the circumstances we find ourselves in.

It is no accident that some couples who encounter marital turbulence navigate it successfully while others in similar circumstances are dominated by frustration, disappointment, and eventual despair. Nor is it an accident that some couples are radiant, positive, and happy while other couples are beaten down, defeated, and anxiety ridden.

Researchers who have searched for the difference between the two have come up with all kinds of correlates to marital success: long courtships, similar backgrounds, supportive families, good communication, extensive education, and so on. But the bottom line is that happy couples decide to be happy. In spite of whatever life deals them, they learn to get the right attitude regardless of the circumstances. You can too.

What’s your attitude like today? Are you about to hit the ground too hard, or go out of control, because of your attitude? Do you need a little adjustment? If “Christ has truly set us free,” you can expect his help in keeping you free from attitude problems, if you ask. So make that choice today, and watch it get you through that turbulence.

Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

—Abraham Lincoln