Breathe Life by Abbey Barnosky

Day 1 of 3: Breath of Life

...then the Lord God formed [that is, created the body of] man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being [an individual complete in body and spirit].
Genesis 2:7 (AMP)

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Mar 6:31 (AMP)

You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].
-Isaiah 26:3 (AMP)

I want you to take a moment to think and dwell on creation. Darkness and nothingness bursting into a whole world teeming with brand new life. No mistakes, no evil, no Mondays — just life. Now imagine Adam lying formed but lifeless in the dust he was created from… waiting. A heavenly father slowly bending towards his brand new son, and then lovingly breathing life into him. For one second, before that glorious first exhale, God’s exhale rested in Adam’s chest. The breath of God inside a human body.

We know that no molecule ever really dies. Atoms are reused and reborn over and over again. And so that same breath is still here. God’s exhale is still here. Floating around and between us at any given moment.

It might seem like a silly thought, but I can’t help but think every time — How amazing is that? To think of God exhaling carbon dioxide from his lungs, and that same carbon dioxide may have rested in my own chest one time… It gives me chills!

I get to watch babies be born for a living. (It seems too miraculous to call it a job!) And being a birth worker means that I see a lot of first breaths. And each one is more incredible than the next! I find myself holding my breath sometimes in expectation of that first gasp for air.

The Bible talks a lot about breathing. In fact, the word “breath” is used 4,804 times! And because God does not make mistakes, I think that it is overemphasized for an important reason.

Focus on your breathing and praying. And not just any breathing — I am talking about deep, cleansing breaths. Make a conscious plan to take at least one deep breath every day and, by extension, pray one short prayer every day. Inhale God’s creation and exhale your worry, stress, and anxiety.

Call to Action:

Consider a time that you can spend 5 minutes each day practicing taking deep, cleansing breaths and praying. Ask God to help guide you on what steps you can take to relieve stress and live more abundantly!

Read Psalm 23 again, this time try to imagine reading it for the first time. Let each phrase soak in and mean something to you.

Day 1 of 3: Breath of Life

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