Breathe

Breathe in…

“Be still…”

Breathe out…

“…And know that I am God”¹ in this place

Breathe in…

“Be still…”

Breathe out…

“…And know that I am God”

In this place

Breathe in the breath of God

The life

The ruach²

The very life force of God himself breathed into us that we might have life

Breathe

It’s ok if you run at a slower pace than others right now. Trust that the pace I set for you is good. Trust the race I give you is tailor made just for you. There’s no need to compare yourself to another’s race.

It’s ok if you don’t share a word or a truth today because you’re waiting for the Word of Truth to settle down into your own soul.

Trust me when I lead you into deeper healing. For I love the child I made, and I long to come where you hurt if you will let me.

I know you think it’s counterintuitive to the work I’ve given you to do. But you can only give out of what you have received. Yet, I do not heal you just for others’ sake – believe I heal you for your own sake first, because I love you.

Don’t try to polish that last statement.

Let me be personal with you. I come to heal the broken-hearted. If your heart is broken, then I come for you. It is personal. I am a personal God. Let me be personal with you.

You are thinking, lately, only in terms of helping others. “I need to heal, or get better, in order to help my friend.” It becomes the lens through which you see your healing, making it less personal.

Let that go.

Let me come.

Let me heal.

Let me just be with you here in the hurting because I love you.

And leave the timing to help others up to me.

Breathe me in your coming.

Breathe me in your going.

Breathe me in your doing.

Breathe me in your being.

Breathe me in your healing.

Breathe me in your family.

Breathe me in your work.

Breathe me in your health.

Breathe me in your daily tasks and household responsibilities.

Breathe me in the parallel of it all.

Breathe me in your worship…

…’til I am the only one you seek the breath of life from.

Breathe. Be still. Know that I am God. Your God.

It was early December when this word began popping up everywhere. Out of my own mouth in conversations, through inspiring Instagram posts, devotions, and more. I finally sat down one quiet mid-afternoon to ask, “what is this about, Jesus? Why does this word keep coming up?” It was then this writing on “BREATHE” flowed as his breath filled the words on the page

It has become a new practice of mine the past couple years to spend the month of January praying, contemplating, and asking God what he is up to in me for the new year, and what word would he like to frame it with. This time the word had come early. Breathe. In addition, he also framed 2021 with the theme of: PACE and SLOW. Again, these words also showed up in multiple ways as he continued to affirm.

I’ve been frustrated with slow. It has felt like literally everything has been slow for years. My health struggles. Writing. Healing. Rediscovering who I am. I was afraid of it all slipping away, feeling that others are running fast while God is taking me slow. I began to approach whatever he put in front of me with attack mode. It didn’t work. And it won’t work when God has tailored my race differently than the next person’s.

Whether you are called to run fast at this time, walk, or crawl, every one of us must breathe to continue the race.

Breathe. Let God set the pace.

¹ Psalm 46:10

² “This word, featured in verses such as Genesis 1:2, Numbers 27:16, Job 33:4, among others, refers to God as a breath, a wind, or a life force that sustains all living things, human being included.” Chrisitianity.com, “What Is the Meaning of the Hebrew Word Ruach?” by Hope Bolinger