I’m out of breath.
Wait a minute, while I catch my breath.
Hold on! I got the breath knocked out of me.
Take deep breaths.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Just breathe.
You took my breath away.
You are a breath of fresh air.
Breath. It’s all that I’ve been thinking about this week.
Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person. Genesis 2:7
The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. Psalm 33:6
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6
Breath. There is no life without it. It is, for most of us, something we take for granted. Our bodies just breathe, the breath of life. We don’t think about it or worry about it.
Most of us anyways.
My friend, Charlie, has vocal cord dysfunction. Which means that his vocal cords close during physical activity rather than open. So he goes to therapy to learn how to breathe differently. He thinks and works and practices breathing.
Two weeks ago, I watched Eva go from wearing an oxygen mask to getting intubated to now wearing a trache. All to help her breathe. And now she practices every day, going off her ventilator, to breathe on her own. Because it doesn't come naturally. (And she's making amazing progress!)
As I write this, I’m sitting here taking deep breaths, grateful to God for having breathed life into me. And into Eva. And into all of us. He is, without question, most definitely, Eva’s breath of life so I’m praying that God would continue to breathe his breath into her, while he partners with her to keep taking in his breath of life.
I am reminded of an old Amy Grant song, “Breath of Heaven.” It is a perfect prayer for Charlie, for Eva and others who are in need of the breath of God. And for those of us who just breathe without thought. To never forget where our breath comes from.
Breath of heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of heaven
Breath of heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness
For you are holy
Breath of heaven
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