Those Deep Breath Moments

Sometimes life is too hectic for us to slow down. Being a parent, spouse, child of an aging parent and keeper of the home or workplace, we tend to forget the during this race that we call life, we need to breathe. Not just the huffing and puffing needed for the run, but also that deep refreshing breath between races. We need those more than you think!

It was during one of these hectic times that I just stopped, sat down and really took time to breathe. Not in the physical sense (though we still need to do that because staying alive is a good thing), but in the sense of really paying attention to my surroundings and appreciating what I saw. Like the other day.

I sat outside next to my weed-rampant yard that sported a butterfly bush I had planted two years ago. Instead of focusing on the unmown lawn, I took a deep breath, and began to see the busyness of the local insects and fauna.

Bumblebees buzzed lazily about the flowers, and I was close enough to see just how fuzzy they were. It helped that they were a little torpid from the cool morning, which made me smile at their clumsiness. Clumsy bees don't sting.

A flock of starlings decided I wasn't a threat and began making all kinds of racket in a nearby holly berry bush. Then I saw the flick of a branch, then the squirrel that made it, as well as his mate, playing among the branches that haven't lost their leaves yet. Then I noticed how blue the sky was, the air cool and crisp as I took it in with one slowly drawn breath.

All this took place in less than five minutes, yet it was like I had taken a power nap. What would the world be like if everyone did this, a few times a day? Take a moment or three today during your race for one of those Deep Breath moments and appreciate what God has done around you. Even if there's no nature, you can still appreciate what you see but usually miss in your everyday doings.

True peace starts with a deep breath. It manifests after we thank God for showing us the things we've missed!