Baffles
Protection from Overflow
The Titanic sank despite a safety feature of a hull divided into partitions by strong baffle walls. A long tear from striking an iceberg allowed sea water to flood six of the sixteen compartments within the hull. Had fewer compartments been flooded, the Titanic might have remained afloat. Baffles, the partitions between compartments, also provide internal protection from overflow of fluids contained within. Metaphorically, baffles create protected areas within one’s life.
Note about the image. This photo has nothing to do with baffles. I just thought it was a cute picture of my three oldest grandchildren enjoying a almost-too-full bubble bath together. I was the protection from overflow but I wasn’t at all baffled by their joy.
My Mysterious Mind
My previous post about pressure got me thinking about baffles. Large containers of fluid need partitions within to prevent their contents from sloshing about out of control. One of my readers told me about driving a tanker-truck filled with fluid in a tank without baffles; upon stopping, the fluid, continuing to move forward, unrestrained by baffles, pushed the truck into the intersection. In our earlier years, my husband and I slept on a waterbed. Within the reservoir were baffles to restrict the flow of water when one person laid down or got up. Without these baffles the innocent bystander, (or should I say by-sleeper?) would be impacted by a rapid movement up or down of the water. Waterbeds came in varying amounts of “waveless,” depending on the level of restricting baffles.
From July 2nd through July 16th, my husband and I hosted members of our immediate family in our home. In anticipation of this time I not only prepared the physical space of our home for eleven additional people, I also cleared the fourteen days of other responsibilities. I had three lists: 1) the things I could do before they arrived, 2) the activities we could enjoy together during their stay, and 3) the responsibilities awaiting me after their departure. Before July 2nd, I was in compartment number one; during their stay, I was in compartment number two; now I am in compartment number three. My current compartment includes monumental tasks associated with my leaving one job for the next. At times, while I was in compartment two, my thoughts would turn to the duties of compartment three. I would push these thoughts into the future compartment, strengthening the baffle between enjoying my family time and the duties awaiting me after they all went home.
Life in compartment two was extraordinary! I was completely immersed in conversations with my kids and their spouses, and cuddling and playing with my grandchildren. My house might be empty now, but my heart is so full! At one point I felt the need to check my email for the upcoming job. I found three emails to which a response was warranted. Just three. But the result was contamination of compartment two with contents of compartment three. Some might call this a problem with “work-life balance.” It seems a bit different to me.
Most of my friends think of me as a busy person. It seems to them I always have a lot going on. And I do. I have multiple family members strewn across the country and ongoing commitments to strong relationships with them. My role as congregational president includes numerous responsibilities. My husband and I dedicate regular blocks of time to being at Mystery Acres together. I have several friendships to which I am devoted. I am employed full-time (enjoying a summer break at the moment). And, if that isn’t enough, I produce weekly inspirational messages on Substack.
I partition these parts of my life with care and intention. I learned to compartmentalize when raising three children while working full-time. Oh, and I earned a doctorate when my oldest was in middle school. I have had a full life and still do. Within that overall fullness are compartments, separated by baffles, to control overflow from one part of my life into all others.
Message from Mystery Acres
We don’t have a source of “live” water on our forest property. My clever husband built a water collection system on the side of the metal garage. We can use this water source during the non-freezing months. He designed it to collect water from one side of the roof, directing the gutter contents into a series of 55-gallon barrels. The first barrel is the “first flush” unit, intended to collect the dirtiest water as it runs off the roof, gathering debris. After that barrel is full, the water directs to a second barrel, which, when full, routes the additional water to a third barrel. There are a total of five barrels. One decent rain shower can fill all of them.
A regular task when visiting our property is to drain some of the water in the first flush barrel. I also have a passive watering system connected to this barrel; the seeping hose at the end provides water for a small group of wildflower plants I brought to the property. My husband and I use the contents of the water collection system to refill the water tank in the motor-home, now a permanent residence in the forest. By draining or using part of the water we are able to prepare the system for the next rain.
One of the first things we learned from our water-collecting efforts is that 55-gallons of water is very heavy. Five full barrels of 55 gallons each is heavy enough to cause the entire system to lean precariously towards the shed. My husband rebuilt the system after the first year’s use to adjust for the pressure of all that weight. Empty barrels are easy to manage; full ones are not. We’ve learned to be mindful of the total weight of a full set of barrels.
The message of Mystery Acres is to respect the weight of whatever is collected in a container, even if divided into several, separate ones. It’s just water, one might say. But water, it turns out, is incredibly heavy. Life can be like that, too. Even with a healthy set of compartments, it’s wise to be mindful of the overall burden. Keeping at least one compartment mostly empty is an effective way to protect from the damage of un-managed overflow.
Ancient Mystery’s Voice
“Jesus said, ‘Sabbath was made for the good of people; people were not made to keep the Sabbath.’” (See Mark 2:27)
From ancient times, Jewish people practiced the discipline of a weekly Sabbath, traditionally called Shabbat. From sundown on Friday through sundown on Saturday, no work was allowed. Violating this practice was viewed as a serious transgression. When, on Saturday, some of Jesus’ disciples grabbed some grain growing in a field and ate it, the religious leaders were outraged.
Jesus responded by explaining that requiring a day of rest was something meant to be good for people. Built on one of the Ten Commandments, people were expected to “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” This, like the other commandments, is a rule for perfect living. Following the rules for perfect living would not only please God but make life much better than living in violation.
It’s a bit like following the instructions for how to use an appliance or device. Those instructions usually include directions for regular maintenance. Ignore the instructions and the item won’t work as well or for as long. Following the instructions will improve functioning and extend it. Not getting regular oil changes, ignoring the need to rotate and balance tires, and never flushing the radiator, while harmful, don’t negate ownership.
Life is partitioned into seven days each week. The words of Ancient Mystery include instructions to set aside one of those days for rest from work. Our modern lives make it impossible for everyone to take this day off simultaneously. Hospitals and police stations, for example, must remain open every day, fully staffed with employees. I can take Sundays off and go to church, but the pastor and organist are working, not resting.
There are no laws being broken by those who are working on the days when others of us are not. The problem is when our lives don’t include times of personal Sabbath. Like regularly scheduled maintenance, setting aside time to rest from work will extend and improve well-being.
Living in Mystery
What does it mean to live in the mystery of using baffles to protect from overflow in your life? First, it means recognizing the important parts of your life for which you need to create compartments. If you are employed, your work world is a part of your world for which partitions are needed from the other parts of your life. Does work invade your home, family, or personal life? If so, creating a “compartment” for work will protect other significant parts of your life.
Creating a compartment for work might involve removing email from your phone. I don’t have email on my phone and don’t intend to ever put it there. Before getting a smartphone I watched so many people struggling with the invasion of email into their everyday lives outside of work. I use a small tablet instead to access email when I need it to travel with me. I strongly suggest you do the same. A partial solution is to turn off email notifications during non-work hours.
Keeping work in its own compartment includes not working at home. If you do work at home, which I regularly do, use only a designated space in your home. Don’t bring work to the living room, dining room, or bedroom. Those spaces are for living, eating, and sleeping, not working. Creating this separation will protect your life from the overflow of work into all other areas.
Next, living in the mystery of using baffles to protect from overflow is to live in one compartment at a time. For a generation big on multi-tasking, my advice is counter-cultural. However, research has demonstrated that multi-tasking is a myth. In reality, attention is rapidly shifting from one task to another, diminishing overall focus on each. Instead of trying to be in several compartments at once, just focus on being in one at a time. If you are with your children, be with them. If doing work, focus on work. When with a spouse or friend, set aside distractions and just be together. Be where you are. Don’t let the contents of other compartments flood your current one.
As an old mom to young parents, I invite you to think about how well you protect your focused time with your children. Does your phone diminish or interrupt the quality of your connections with them? Do you sit on the couch or at the dining room table with your laptop, not really noticing the sights and sounds of the family around you? Will one of their most dominant memories be you looking at a laptop or smartphone screen? Better parenting means protecting the time with children to provide strong relationships and families.
Lastly, the mystery of using baffles for better living includes the creation of a regular compartment for weekly rest. This might involve not doing work on Sundays, but it could be not doing work after a certain time every night. Also, improved rest means to use vacations and mini-vacations without connection to work, including email. My last journal entry before the two weeks with family included acknowledging how worn out I was from all of the changes in my world. My next entry, written fourteen days later, was about how energized I felt. The list of responsibilities I had set aside for “compartment three” seemed much smaller than when I had postponed those tasks two weeks earlier. Viewed with a rested mind and joy-filled heart, I felt ready to do the work that previously seemed overwhelming. Creating a baffle to protect my time with family was fantastically restorative.
Living in the mystery of having baffles between important parts of one’s life preserves and extends well-being. Keep work in its place. Prevent the invasion of email into places it doesn’t belong. Focus on the task or person in front of you, partitioning off all else. Life becomes more manageable when managed with compartments separated by baffles.
Connecting With Mystery
Dear Lord of All Mystery, I confess to having parts of my life for which I allow chaos and disruption to diminish my focus. Help me to recognize where I need to create healthy partitions and give me the strength and courage to build them. Show me where I am allowing email or work to undermine other important parts of my life. Thank You for the recommendation to rest on a weekly basis, setting aside time with You. Help me to better live in the mystery of using baffles to protect me and my relationships from unhealthy overflow. Amen.
Notes from Dr. Mac
If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, I suggest you go to Bible Gateway. This free online version of the Bible allows a search of words or phrases in various translations. You might enjoy reading about the ancient practice of Sabbath still wisely practiced today.
You can find previous posts and podcasts in my ARCHIVE and organized compilations in the My “Books” section. You can also find Mystery’s Voice on Spotify .
Do you have thoughts to share? Please leave a comment below or through the Substack App, or email me privately at Dear Dr. Mac. I love to hear from you!
