Silence of the Larrys

By Jennifer E. Jones
CBN.com Producer

CBN.com – Whether or not you’ve seen him on TV, you’re probably at least vaguely familiar with Larry the Cable Guy. He’s the slack-jawed, country fried alter ego of comedian Daniel Lawrence Whitney. In addition to his off-color southern humor, he is the one we have to thank for bringing “git-r-done” into the American lexicon.

I don’t know the man personally, but I sat next to him on a recent flight through Texas. Well, perhaps it wasn’t the Larry the Cable Guy, but it was someone who bore an uncanny resemblance to him in both look and sound.

Usually I wouldn’t have noticed. I’m that girl who has little white plugs stuck in her ears from take off to landing to baggage claim. It’s my security blanket against crying babies and chatty passengers. However, this flight, I had unwittingly put my iPod in my checked luggage. As it sat underneath the plane, I sat in seat 15A across the aisle from our inpromptu in-flight entertainment.

His booming voice carried at least several rows backwards and forwards. He was full of jokes -- mostly to scare the teenage girls in front of him.

“Yep, the landin’ gear must be malfunctionin'’,” he quipped with every rumble below our seats. The girls would giggle and tell him to hush. Yet he continued.

As we were descending, he said, “We’re goin’ down!”

For every normal airplane procedure, “Larry” had a more tragic version. “We’re gonna run smack-dab into that other plane there.” “Oh no. There goes the left wing.” “We’re done fer!”

He was obviously joking, and everyone knew it. However, my sense of mile-high humor has dimmed some since 9/11. Not to mention that I know people who will ride on smelly buses cross country due to their fear of flying. “Larry” was a funny guy and all, but his quips could have been making other passengers unnecessarily anxious.

Strangely enough, I was one of them. I’m a pro at flying, but my imagination started to get carried away. What if something really went wrong with the plane? Wow, we’re high up. A crash would be certain death.

I don’t know if the little voice inside your head sounds like Larry the Cable Guy, but I think we all let seeds of fear and doubt change perfectly normal situations into panic attacks waiting to happen. It’s that whisper that constantly details every worst-case scenario. It’s not funny. It’s downright frightful.

The little Larrys in your life need a good “hush”, and the best way to silence your fears is to gag them with the Word of God. When you hear, You’ll never have enough money to pay your bills, tell yourself God promised to provide for all your needs in Philippines 4:19. When you feel that panic creep in from the enemy, remind yourself of the protection granted to you in Psalm 91. For every piece of false advice, counter it with Scripture that reaffirms, reassures, and puts rest in your soul.

As soon as I felt my imagination getting grander, I immediately talked myself down. I know flying is much safer than driving. Besides, I’m a child of God, and He said in Joshua 1:9 not to be afraid because He’s with me wherever I go.

For the rest of the flight, I was as cool as a cucumber. The comedian on board continued to tease the girls in front of him, but I was not deterred. Like the earth at that moment, my fears might as well have been thousands of feet below me. God's Word put a safe distance between us.

Into every life, a little "Larry" must fall. Doubt can creep in at any time and try to turn peace into fear. Don't pay him any mind, and slice through the lies with the Word of God. A good hush can take you a long way.

Jennifer E. Jones is the Media Center / CBNmusic Producer who knew she could survive anything after that fateful five-hour flight from D.C. to L.A. where two toddlers screamed and cried literally coast to coast. Read her bio.