With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Forever is composed of nows. ~Emily Dickinson
Often when we are living between breaths, our focus just becomes…the “next” breath. When will it come? How deep will it be? Will I feel it or will it be effortless? That next breath. Life can get overwhelming if all you are doing is focusing on what comes next. The tendency to only focus on tomorrow, next week, next year or worse – focusing on the past will leave us frustrated and stuck. Although we can learn valuable lessons from history and we should think about our future, we cannot stay there. We have to stop and focus on what is happening right now. When we remember that God will never waste a single moment on us, each moment suddenly seems much more valuable…holy.
It reminds me of the question God asked Moses in Exodus 4. Our Sovereign, all-knowing God asks “What is in your hand?” Moses was holding the rod – the rod that would help him through various situations. He didn’t need to be concerned about the why, when or how. He just needed to know that everything he needed was in his hands NOW. In many ways, God was telling Moses to stop and look at what is happening right now. “Moses, what do you have to use RIGHT NOW?’
Jesus further tells us to not worry about the future. The NLT asks us: “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:27) I even like the way the Apostle Paul furthers this principle: “Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God’s plan for us” (2 Cor. 10:13 NLT). Again – the reminder is that we are not GOD. We need to “stay in our lane” and deal with what is on our plate at this moment.
Another wonderful way this principle is laid out is in the beautiful scripture in Philippians 4. Paul admonishes us to think on what is now – don’t assume, don’t get ahead of yourself, don’t let your imagine drift too far: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
As we are in between breaths, let’s stop worrying about when and how the next breath will come. As children of the most loving and faithful God, we know for sure that the breath is coming. It doesn’t matter how or when. Let’s just focus on what God has given us to get through THIS breath, THIS moment.
Survival Tip #1 - Don’t Underestimate the Power of Friendship
As I still struggle to catch my breath, I thought it may be beneficial to share a few survival tips that I’m learning as I pant, gasp and sometimes choke. A recent survival tip that I’ve recently learned is the power of friendship.
With social networking and our busy, busy lives, we often ignore or underestimate time with friends. Posting on walls or tweeting each other has replaced simple time just talking on the phone or chatting over coffee or nachos.
To complicate things, when we are struggling to catch our breath, we tend to think we are alone, or that no one will understand. We seclude ourselves, hide our feelings and avoid others. Alone, we grasp for whatever is within reach, instead of grabbing the hand of a dear friend.
Last night I met a friend at Barnes and Noble to chat about a project and business venture. Soon our discussion turned personal, and we shared the most recent highs and lows about our lives. As words and feelings began to freely flow, without much thought, rhyme or reason, it became an exhale moment.
I left that little table in the bookstore feeling a sense of relief. The problems were still there, I am still not breathing on my own, but for a moment, I felt the friendship of GOD. I felt Him loving on me, laughing with me, encouraging me. My “between breaths” moment didn’t seem so BIG. It felt temporary and that life will go on.
That is what is so special about fellowship and why I believe God asks us to not forsake our assembling together…our issues don’t seem so large when we are with others. We realize that other people have “stuff” too - and that life goes on.
Friendship is an wonderful gift from God. It is sad when people don’t treasure that gift. We see beautiful examples of friendship in scripture, particularly between David and Jonathan and Mary and Elizabeth. It is as if God gave us friends to be his hands, his arms, His legs - here on Earth. His Spirit in the Flesh.
If you are between breaths. If you are not breathing on your own. If you are gasping or suffocating - reach out to a friend and allow them in. Let God guide you to the person and through the conversation. He is faithful, even in friendships.
With social networking and our busy, busy lives, we often ignore or underestimate time with friends. Posting on walls or tweeting each other has replaced simple time just talking on the phone or chatting over coffee or nachos.
To complicate things, when we are struggling to catch our breath, we tend to think we are alone, or that no one will understand. We seclude ourselves, hide our feelings and avoid others. Alone, we grasp for whatever is within reach, instead of grabbing the hand of a dear friend.
Last night I met a friend at Barnes and Noble to chat about a project and business venture. Soon our discussion turned personal, and we shared the most recent highs and lows about our lives. As words and feelings began to freely flow, without much thought, rhyme or reason, it became an exhale moment.
I left that little table in the bookstore feeling a sense of relief. The problems were still there, I am still not breathing on my own, but for a moment, I felt the friendship of GOD. I felt Him loving on me, laughing with me, encouraging me. My “between breaths” moment didn’t seem so BIG. It felt temporary and that life will go on.
That is what is so special about fellowship and why I believe God asks us to not forsake our assembling together…our issues don’t seem so large when we are with others. We realize that other people have “stuff” too - and that life goes on.
Friendship is an wonderful gift from God. It is sad when people don’t treasure that gift. We see beautiful examples of friendship in scripture, particularly between David and Jonathan and Mary and Elizabeth. It is as if God gave us friends to be his hands, his arms, His legs - here on Earth. His Spirit in the Flesh.
If you are between breaths. If you are not breathing on your own. If you are gasping or suffocating - reach out to a friend and allow them in. Let God guide you to the person and through the conversation. He is faithful, even in friendships.
Where Do I Begin?
I will begin...between breaths. Have you ever laughed so hard, cried so deeply, experienced an emotion so raw - that you had to catch your breath? There are those few seconds between breaths where you anxiously reach for the next breath, trusting it will be there. Hoping it will be there...or else. Or else... you stop breathing. You choke, gasp, fall apart.
Sometimes life is like that. We enter season when we feel like we are between breaths. We are hanging on. Waiting. Not sure how to rest or what to do until the next breath comes. It may be a tragic event that has left you breathless. A relationship that has gone terribly wrong. An illness, a financial crisis. Or just a series of things called "life" that has left us between breaths.
This blog is devoted to exploring those moments. That season. And yes, I know it is a season. As I am between breaths, I know it is a season. That this moment, this anxious waiting for the next breath will not last forever. There will be a moment when I will breathe in and out - effortlessly again.
Hope...that is what they call that. When you know there is more to come. I know the next breath is coming soon.
Sometimes life is like that. We enter season when we feel like we are between breaths. We are hanging on. Waiting. Not sure how to rest or what to do until the next breath comes. It may be a tragic event that has left you breathless. A relationship that has gone terribly wrong. An illness, a financial crisis. Or just a series of things called "life" that has left us between breaths.
This blog is devoted to exploring those moments. That season. And yes, I know it is a season. As I am between breaths, I know it is a season. That this moment, this anxious waiting for the next breath will not last forever. There will be a moment when I will breathe in and out - effortlessly again.
Hope...that is what they call that. When you know there is more to come. I know the next breath is coming soon.
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