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Have you ever been at the airport and seen a plane doing the touch and go maneuvers? The plane begins it’s descent to the runway, flaps move, rudder adjustments, the nose rises. By all appearances the plane is preparing to land.

The tension builds until at long last the wheels touch the runway in a cloud of smoke. The plane continues down the runway on it’s rear wheels until suddenly and without warning, it begins to lift off again to fly away into the sky.

Pilots perform this maneuver over and over again so that their landings and take-offs become second nature. It’s a necessary part of flying and as one who is normally a passenger; it’s one that I really appreciate!

After 19 years as one who has chosen to follow Christ, I am still doing Touch and Go maneuvers in my own life. These Touch and Go maneuvers help me to stay in constant contact with spiritual disciplines designed to keep me in step with God. When I’m “flying” it is done with a full and complete knowledge that God is in control of my life. When I’m performing these maneuvers or spiritual disciplines, its not because I’ve taken control from God, but rather that I am using the tools he has given to me to teach me how to fly with Him better..

Here are the top 5 maneuvers in no particular order that I use on a regular basis:

• Meditation. I believe that God’s word is sort of like honey to my heart and mind. If I just read the verses and never take the time to let them soak in and permeate everything, then I’m not really experiencing the full effect of the scripture. It’s only when I chew on a verse or concept for a while that God truly speaks and reveals to me what I need to know.
• Prayer. In the past couple of years, prayer has become more than just a way to communicate with God it’s become a way for me to experience His presence in my life despite my inadequacies. Praying has become my heart joining God’s desires for my life.
• Study. This maneuver goes right along with Meditation. I’ve learned to not be content with what I already know, but rather to continue to push my mind and heart to truly study how God desires for me to experience His perfection in my imperfect life.
• Simplicity. As odd as it seems, the ability to understand that I can choose to live without the baggage of life hanging over me is one that has changed my life. I still get caught up in my techno desires, but I understand that it’s okay to have those desires, so long as they don’t rule my life or become an obsession that distracts me from God.
• Solitude. My favorite maneuver by far is solitude. A half-hour of silence in my life changes my mindset completely. Solitude has become the time when I can simply sit and listen for God to speak to me. It’s difficult to find solitude at times, but when I do – it’s so worth it.

So – what are your touch and go maneuvers that keep you connected to God?