Turning the Page
A Grace-Filled Path to Mental Wholeness
Turning the Page
A Grace-Filled Path to Mental Wholeness
"A metal plumb bob hanging steadily from a string, representing a centered and still mind amidst life's storms."
Spiritual Practices

How to Still Your Mind With a Plumb Bob and a Bucket

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When anxiety and depression swing your thoughts back and forth, a builder’s plumb bob and a bucket of water offer a simple picture of how God’s presence can bring your mind back to centre.

Quick answer: A plumb bob is a weight on a string that hangs perfectly vertical, until the wind blows. Builders keep it still by lowering it into a bucket of water. In the same way, when anxious or depressed thoughts swing out of control, you can picture Jesus placing your swinging mind into a bucket and surrounding it with the steadying truth that God is with you. It is a four-step practice of imaginative prayer that grows stronger the more you train in it.

In this post:

When Your Mind Swings Like a Pendulum

There are times that my thoughts and feelings seem to swing like monkeys in a tree. If that sounds familiar, you may also relate to the monkey circus of the mind and the peace of Psalm 121.

My mind just seems to go everywhere. It swings into depression, anxiety, and then back into depression.

My mind seems to have a mind of its own.

Recently I was speaking on a podcast and suggested that it’s like a pendulum swinging back and forth. Our thoughts can swing between past regrets and future fears. But actually, I think I can refine this down to an even better picture.

What Is a Plumb Bob?

Back in the old days, and still today, when builders wanted to check whether the wall they were building was vertical, they would hang a plumb bob from the top of the wall.

Ancient Roman bronze plumb bob pendant, the weighted tool builders hang on a string to find a true vertical line
Roman plumb bob

This is a heavy weight tied to a piece of string. The force of gravity acting on the weight creates a vertical, taut string line that they could measure their wall against.

The weight at the bottom had to be heavy enough to hold the string taut. Imagine a feather being placed at the bottom of the string. That string line would just float around with any little breeze.

Plumb bobs work really well when there is no wind.

They stay straight and true, but when any wind comes along, that thin string and the weight on the end can act like a sail. The wind moves over it and pushes the string line away from vertical, away from being centred.

Then, when the gust of breeze stops, the plumb bob swings back the other way.

The wind comes, the plumb bob moves out.

How to Keep a Plumb Bob Still: A Bucket of Water

So how do we keep a plumb bob still on a windy day?

You put the plumb bob into a bucket of water.

The water stops the plumb bob swinging around. The presence of the water acting on the surface of the bob creates resistance to movement.

Here is how this plays out in my life. When the inevitable winds and storms of life roll in, my mind starts dancing a not-so-merry tune. Anxiety can arrive like a wave you have to dive through.

When my mind begins to swing around, I take these steps.

Four Steps to Still Your Mind

1. Picture your life as a plumb bob on a stormy day

It is tossed around from side to side. I see the pendulum swinging and rocking back and forth.

2. Ask the Holy Spirit for help

I recognise that I need help from outside of myself, that I can’t live this moment without some external, stable presence. I ask God to search me and know my anxious thoughts.

3. Picture Jesus bringing a bucket

Into this bucket, he places my swinging pendulum of thoughts and feelings.

4. Let Jesus pour the water of divine truth around you

In particular, I like to focus on the words ‘I am with you’. This sense of ‘with-ness’ brings incredible feelings of peace and quiet to my mind. There is great power in hearing “I am with you” when anxiety isolates.

“The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior.” Judges 6:12

Training Your Brain to Rest in God’s Presence

This is an exercise that you need to train yourself in.

It certainly won’t come naturally.

In fact, it may seem totally unnatural to you.

You may well want to take charge, be in control. You may think you can handle all those thoughts and feelings yourself, that you can problem-solve and control the winds and storms hitting your life.

Jesus wants to be involved.

He comes as a dear friend to sit with you and say, ‘I’m with you. Let’s do this together.’

This is all part of training the brain to invite God’s presence to be your still point, to help you centre. If you would like to go further, centering prayer offers a simple framework for stilling a busy mind.

Quotes to Consider

  • Prayer that gives God the most penetrating access to our depths is prayer that is offered in stillness. Dr David Benner
  • The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays. Søren Kierkegaard
  • Prayer is talking with God about what we’re thinking and doing together. Dallas Willard

Questions to Answer

  1. What causes your mind to swing into rhythms of depression and anxiety?
  2. What verses could help you to become centred?

Further Reading

About the Author

Barry Pearman has spent almost 30 years as a mental health support worker, community chaplain, and pastor, and has walked through depression himself. His training includes SoulCare Foundations under Dr Larry Crabb, a Bachelor of Applied Theology, spiritual direction training, and certificates in CBT interventions, pastoral therapy, and integrated mental health care. Read more about Barry Pearman’s background and training.

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