I love when I leave my house and step out to an overcast day only to realize during the middle of the day that the sun is shining outside my window. It makes me pause and smile. That’s good – the whole pausing and smiling thing.
I was able to represent our community this past Monday at the class I’m taking as worship leader. I was given the task of creating a unique worship experience for 10 other ministers – all of whom are neck deep in their own journeys of faith. Each of us have been sharing about the build up to Holy Week and specifically Easter. I knew that most of the group had mentioned being in deep need of some quiet and solitude, so that’s what I decided to lead us into – quiet. My goal was to give us all, me doubly included, a chance to stop and breathe.
Breathing is a pretty important thing. I mean just for a minute, stop reading and just breathe. Seriously, stop reading right now and do nothing but breathe for 1 minute.
I realized something this week as I got ready for my Monday group – each and every breathe we take in is filled with the life giving presence and power of a Holy and Awesome God. Seriously, that breathe right there, the one we just took in – that has God all over it! We call God Spirit – in fact the Hebrews word for Spirit is the same word for breathe (ruach). God’s very spirit is as close to us as our next breathe! Wow! That tells me that I really need to be more aware of my breathing. If every time I breathe I was more aware that God was with me, how would every second be different for me?
We’re continuing our lenten journey – 40 days to wonder. I wonder today about this breathe thing and how I could use this little thing called a breathe to be more aware of the God who’s on this journey with us? How could it bring me to a closer relationship with God – how could it draw me closer towards holiness. That’s part of this 40 day journey – looking toward holiness, striving for it, embracing it, breathing it in!
“Am I a God near at hand,” says the LORD,
“And not a God afar off?
Can anyone hide themselves’ in secret places,
So I shall not see them?” says the Lord;
“Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord. – Jeremiah 23:23-24
Enjoy that next breathe and remember it’s teeming with the presence of a God who DEEPLY loves you!