Just Breathe

Our foster daughter become sick this week. Monday night she coughed and hacked endlessly. Tuesday morning she asked to sit with me. As she lay on my chest, her stomach kept bumping me whenever she took a breath. It was a bit like Chinese water torture, so I moved her to a different position. Then I could hear the wheezing. She was really struggling to take in air. I immediately called the doctor and took everyone into the office (including my two boys and two overnight friends). With steroids and breathing treatments, she is doing much better this morning. This whole experience got me thinking (and listening to my God's beautiful voice)..


This time of year, just before school, is always so busy for me trying to get my children ready for the days ahead. And I often forget to just breathe. I rush around, taking kids to get physicals and notebooks and backpacks. I am running and running and I forget that I have to breathe in and breathe out. I am thankful to be capable of breathing without effort. And this I know is a true blessing, as many people really struggle with this basic need in our lives. But many of us forget.

I love this time of year, where Fall is just beginning and we get a glimpse of the cooler weather to come. When I sit outside, I close my eyes and just breathe in His presence. I love to imagine what my God must smell like. I think He smells like rain and newly cut grass and freshly fallen leaves. When I breathe in His presence, I can feel the change of temperature in my nostrils as it moves to the pit of my lungs. Take a deep breath right now and feel it. Close your eyes, breathe in slowly and deeply for at least 7 seconds. Hold your breath for another 7 seconds and focus on His presence inside of your soul. He's there! Feel Him! Smell Him! Enjoy this brief moment with Him. Then breathe out slowly (another 7 seconds).

How precious is the air we breathe. What a gift from God! I am so thankful for every breath I take. It means I have one more second to live on this earth and experience a life like no other, a life that was created and designed just for me. It means I have one more second to love others and to serve a God in ways only He can imagine.

Today, I am thankful for the air I breathe. I am thankful that I have the capacity to take in deep and long breaths. I am thankful for a God who has given me such a simple pleasure in my life.

Something to think about (and maybe share with the rest of us)...

1. What does God smell like to you?