Pause for a moment. Slow your pace down and accept the invitation to read.
Take a deep breath in.
Exhale out the nose; empty your breath all the way out of your belly.
Try it again.
Inhale. Through the nose. Deep into your rib cage.
Exhale. Out the nose. Draw your navel to your spine.
Human beings were formed by God breathing His breath into the soil itself. The story of our creation can be found in Genesis 2:7 for your reference.
Whether you believe it as truth or not, I challenge you to imagine God picking up a handful of dirt, taking a deep breath in, and then exhaling life into the matter in His hands.
Our being is dependent on the breath. Our living soul is not dependent on the task lists, the upcoming events, or the latest Netflix show you keep up with.
We are alive because we can breathe. This is the source of life that moves like the wind throughout our internal body.
Contrary to the man-made belief, “We were created to do!”, we constantly do so much that some of us have forgotten how to be. A culture caught up on the carousel of life and the button broke that makes it stop.
Is this just me? Maybe I should have titled this article “Makenna has ADHD.”
In order to deconstruct the notion that we were created to do, we’ve got to learn how to be. The pressure we put on ourselves to always do is as palpable as Florida humidity. Moods get sticky and conversations get hot when we are too busy doing.
I’ve got a sixth sense for when people are carrying a lot. I’ll notice tempers flare, the room feels like eggshells, and the vibe check is off.
I’ll often ask, “Have you had a sip of water today?”
I am a professional at taking on A LOT. To combat this, I’ve spent a lot of time meditating on the word from Psalms 46:10 which says, “Be still and know that I am God.”
It’s in those still moments where we connect with our source of hope.
It’s in those moments of being where we can actually hear the words that someone spoke.
It’s the moment where you finally have the ability to process whatever is taking your energy.
Your challenge today; Build margin in your life to simply be.
Be in the word of God. A literal living, breathing source of hope to read.
Be present in your conversations, instead of thinking about the next thing you’ll be doing.
Be in the garden, soaking up the sunshine, or sitting on the seashore breathing in the salty breeze.
We can do all day, and soon there will come a point where we will be forced to stop. By illness or by happenstance. All doing will one day, come to a halt.
Let’s go back to the basics. The inhale and exhale. Practice inviting more moments into your every day, where you pause to breathe and just be.
God wasn’t messing around with this breathing thing. He knew that one day we would need it to slow us down and use it as a tool to help us stop so much doing.
Makenna Curtis
Faith, Family, & Entertainment Writer
Local Pulse Pensacola
