The stresses and
pressures of life often act like a centrifugal force, pulling me away
from my center. All my calm whisks away as I get sucked in by a
whole host of worries - about friends and finances; chores and
appointments. Many times, I become so ensconced in the details of
what needs to get done that I forget why they need to be done at all.
When my stress
levels become high enough, I am forced to become aware of my
distraction and mis-guided priorities. I feel so overwhelmed by life
that I begin to ask, "why?" Why must I complete these
tasks? Why must I nurture these relationships? Why am I so anxious?
And then I remember how Jesus taught us to renounce anxiety. I
remember how Jesus urged us to trust in God's guidance day by day, leaving tomorrow's problems for tomorrow. And then, for the first
time in far too long, I take a breath.
Of course, I had
been breathing all along, but I had forgotten. I had forgotten to pay
attention to my spirit, and
to the way that breathing can draw me back into awareness of God's
presence. Yet now that I have become aware of my anxiety, and the way
in which my mind is scattered in a hundred different directions, I am
invited to come back to the center. If I am willing to slow down and
listen, I can sense the principle of God in my heart, my spirit, my
breath.
When
I wait in stillness, I re-discover the hidden power that draws all my
scattered parts back together. Seeking to accomplish my own will, I
chased after so many things; but now, I remember that only one thing
really matters. As I wait in my breath, I encounter a deeper Breath that breathes in me.
I am reminded that I am grounded in something much deeper than my own
desires and ambitions. This life within me is greater than all my
plans.
Somehow,
as I wait in my breath, I experience Christ within me.
If I give myself over to his love, he gathers me up and unites all of
the competing voices in my head. Waiting in his presence, I am
restored to my deepest and truest personality. This Holy Breath
empowers me to lead the life that I was created for, turning away
from the darkness, selfishness and addiction that has held me back.
When I allow him to breath in me, he liberates me to live in simple, naked faith. When he
takes his place at the head of my life, all things hold together.
2 comments:
Thank you, Micah. A beautiful reminder.
"As I wait in my breath, I encounter a deeper Breath that breathes in me."
I am struggling with this discipline and needed to see this this morning.
thanks
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