"Take slow, deep breaths." That's what Don, our instructor, told me to do at Discover Scuba class last week. You see, I was kind of freaking out a little bit. Breathing underwater was just a little bit scarier at first than I thought it would be. But once I took Don's advice and started to breathe deeply and slowly, I relaxed and it turned out to be very fun!
"Take slow, deep breaths." That's what Adam, my instructor, told me at bagpipe lessons a few days ago. You see, I've been having trouble learning to blow evenly and steadily. As a result my face turns an alarming shade of red and the pitch of the bagpipes wavers all over the place and seldom in tune. But once Adam showed me how to breathe deeply and slowly, filling and squeezing the bag was much less distressing on my respiratory system and on listeners' ears.
I thought that it was pretty amazing that even though scuba diving and playing the bagpipes are two very different activities, the key to doing both of them successfully is the same… take slow, deep breaths. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that that's pretty much the key doing life successfully, too.
This month marks two very important events in the life of the church. May 17 is Ascension Day. On that day we remember how, after his resurrection, Jesus ascended into the clouds and was no longer visible to his followers. But he didn't abandon us. Instead, he promised to send his Holy Spirit to be with us, so that we would know and experience his presence in our lives even though we can't physically see him. And May 27 is Pentecost Day. On that day we remember how Jesus kept his promise and his Holy Spirit came and filled his followers.
The Hebrew word for spirit is "ruach", and it literally means "breath". Though we can no longer see him, Jesus is as close to us as the air we breathe. That's good to know in a world full of scary, distressing, and painful things. The key to managing it all successfully is to keep taking slow, deep breaths. Breathe in the Spirit of Christ and breathe him in deeply. Breathe him in through prayer and meditation. Breathe him in through worship and fellowship. Breathe him in through the Bible and Bible study. Breathe him in through service and caring. Take slow, steady breaths of Christ and he'll help you stay relaxed and in tune with God's desire for your life. "Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you… And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" John 20:21-22 |
