E X H A L E
breathe in, breathe out
breathe in, breathe out
On an average day, people breathe in and out 12-20 times a minute.
Thankfully, our bodies are constructed so well that most of us don’t have to think about it. 17,000- 30,000 times a day it, it just goes on its own. And in the natural cycle of this expansion and contraction, our nervous systems are given the chance “to settle and reduce stress” (Huffpost).
There’s a design to us.
The blueprints of the human anatomical system, down to every cell, is based on the taking in of nourishment and the releasing of waste.
And guess what happens when this system is disrupted?
Stress.
My fish tank community is a reminder of this for me. (Don’t worry, I’m not a crazy fish person. I’m a crazy fish and dog person. )
In every tank lives little nasty “buggies” that can hurt your fish. However, they’re a natural part of the environment. They live in the sand, on the coral and in the water. They normally don’t have access to the fish unless stress is introduced to the tank. For fish, some stressors are the introduction of other fish, a change of diet, loud noises or an imbalance in the quality of the environment they live in. The fish then become irritable and their breathing changes. This gives the “buggies” an inroad to the inner body of the fish. And if nothing is done, or it isn’t done quick enough, the fish die.
Hence, good fish owners take great care to maintain a balanced environment in their tank.
Like fish, our lives are dependent on the even exchange of taking in life and getting rid of toxins. Also like fish, if care isn’t taken in creating a peaceful environment and taking in nourishment, then it becomes wildly easy to begin to stress. This stress allows a negative and malicious force, whom we as Christians know as the “enemy”, quick and easy access to your life. This enemy will bring metaphorical waves of death into your life– killing your health, relationships, heart, imagination, aspirations, gratitude, etc.– until he literally takes you out entirely.
Now, if you can, take a moment.
What are your stressors?
Consider all the things that have opened the door to stress/death in your life. Perhaps this is your inability to mourn the death of someone, employment issues, strained relationships, an addiction to comparison, an overcommitted schedule, a lack of sleep, a loss of control in what you say, or a lack of intimacy with God or others etc.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (the buggie in our tank.)
1 Peter 5:8
Life, especially during the holidays, becomes an exercise of shallow breathing.
We remain sustained, but with little nourishment is taken in, nor waste excreted.
Statements like…“I’m too busy to even catch my breath”….roll off people’s tongues with no care to how this thought is a symptom not of a season, but of death to their soul.
I do it too.
Last week, my best friend and I had the first purposeful get together in four months. We have talked on the phone and been in groups, but “life” came between us and hanging out. At first, that day, we did a lot of running around, trying to get things checked off our list, but then we both realized what we really wanted was to sit down and actually just connect with one another.
We exhaled.
We both had an actual physical response to breathing in the life that comes through our friendship, breathing out our worries and toxic attitudes and thoughts. We didn’t gossip or complain (what is often disguised by many under the term “venting”), but we were still, giving time for shared vulnerability and laughter. We de-stressed.
And at the end Dana asked a common but, honestly, weighty question.
“Why don’t we do that more often?”
Which got me thinking about elementary environmental science:
We breathe in oxygen to live; it’s the powerhouse for all our cells’ activities, fueling our every moment. Life. And when we are done receiving this nourishing oxygen, its waste– carbon dioxide– isn’t wasted at all. It fuels our environment. Life.
All around us is life because… we breathe in and out.
Now to the soul. When Jesus (our oxygen) permeates the cell walls of our unique personality tied up in our heart and mind, He brings love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. What is expelled is fear, unforgiveness, stress, doubt, anger and rudeness. And when these are released from our environment, we bring life to a dull and aching world.
This season, I urge you to settle into a rhythm of balance. It may look like tailoring your expectations of yourself and others. Schedules may need alteration. If you find yourself uttering, “I don’t have time” then I suggest a date with a friend– someone you walk away from brighter-eyed.
Because your ability to breathe affects everyone. Also, remember:
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
1 Peter 5:8
Stress is his open door.
breathe in, breathe out
breathe in, breathe out
Ecclesiastes 8:5
So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness all with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.
