It’s been over a month since I’ve taken the time to write a blog entry, and I have missed it! The reason behind this is that I filled my schedule up so much that I didn’t feel like I had the time, almost to where I didn’t feel like I could breathe.
My guess is that you too have been through seasons in your life when you feel the same way. I would also venture to say that if you are reading this, you are either out of such a season or using this as a break from the chaos. Either way, it is so easy for us to fill our lives with so much that we can
feel overwhelmed and over taxed.
It happens in our work life, in our family time, and even in our time with God, and the scary part is that the urge to do more, be more, and keep going is perpetuated by the society around us...and that little voice inside that pushes us to take on just one more thing. And yet, to do can be at our own detriment.
Don’t get me wrong, this season I’ve come through (and we are all about to go through) was one where the things I did were all for great things. Activities around the church benefited many, the Emmaus walk that I helped with had a huge impact on many men including myself, and the marathon I ran was the fulfillment of a long-term goal I’d set for myself. Family activities were a blessing for me, and even the time on the road in between activity was used as time to reflect, but there is something about stopping all the “doing” and simply “being” that brings focus, renewed energy, and wholeness.
I mentioned that I completed a marathon. This was last weekend, and it was my first official marathon. I trained, and for most of the way ran, by myself, and for me that time on the road is a
time to “be.” It is a time to reflect on where I am in life and what I’m doing, and I need that time. In fact, it’s probably what kept me sane over these busy recent days. It helped me to catch my breath.
Breathing is an integral part of running. After all, if one doesn’t breathe correctly they can have issues. They can get cramps in their sides, and even pass out if they are not processing air effectively. More common and important however, is the fact that the way one breathes affects their performance.
Beginning runners often breathe in through their nose then exhale through their mouth, but when one does this they do not maximize their breath. That is, they do not get a full breath, and on the exhale they may or may not be able to completely expel the carbon dioxide from the body. One really needs to inhale and exhale from their nose and mouth.
One thing worth noting is that the amount of oxygen needed for the body, thus amount of breaths one take in minute will increase or decrease depending on how much oxygen the body needs. Thus, the more energy one exerts, the more oxygen they need, thus the more quickly their breathing, for
just as food and liquid are fuel for the body, so is oxygen.
Ultimately, however, when one gets used to running and trains for awhile, they begin to get “in shape,” and when they get in shape their heart, lungs, and muscles begin to work together. A coordination of the three work together to create a cadence of breathing in, then out...2 steps in, 2 steps out..., and as that cadence is set the runner relaxes. They give themselves over to the activity, and they simply go. And at some point in the training of every runner there is a moment when the activity is less about “doing” and almost completely a way of “being.”
At the beginning of the Bible God creates everything, and on the last day, the 7th day, God names something which we know as “Sabbath.” Sabbath is a day of rest. A day to spend time with God and family. Ultimately, it is a day to simply “be.”
Now I know that very few of us actually take a Sabbath day each week as commanded, myself included, but as always God did know what God was doing when God commanded us to take Sabbath. God knew that we need time to simply let go and be. That the constant working, constant running, constant doing will run us down.
If you’ve ever been diagnosed with hypertension or high cholesterol, you know that a common cause for these diseases is stress and never taking time to simply “be” because there is too much to “do.” Some wonder why heart issues are so prevalent in our society, but God knew a long time ago, if we but listen.
I wonder, how well are you breathing? Where are you deliberately taking “Sabbath” time, even if it’s just 30 minutes during the day, to stop doing and simply “being”? How close to burn out are you? Statistically, at least a few are feeling a little “crispy.”
What is hopeful and wonderful to me is that when we begin to ask such questions and become aware of how busy we are, we can begin to take note of our breathing. We can note whether we’re “inhaling through our noses and exhaling through our mouths” through compartmentalizing our lives in order to cope. That is, we breath in running the kids to practices and rehearsals, then think breathing out is heading to the gym to fit in a quick work out.
When we step out of our schedules and genuinely look at how much time we take for ourselves, we are able to assess whether the pace is so fast that we cannot breathe, and adjust accordingly. In fact, if we do it enough, we might even be able to pull back enough to establish a healthy cadence in life, where we take everything in stride and can breathe deeply.
But ultimately, when we do these things, we discover, and/or are reminded, of what God knew and taught from the very beginning. That we need to breathe, not just air, but life. And the way to do that is to step back, take note, then receive the grace of God that is lavished upon us all the time. A grace that is easily missed when we never stop.
Look at your schedule or think back on the last three months. Where has the time gone? The ways we spend our time reflect our priorities.
Look at your checkbooks. Where has the money gone? Money and time are integrally connected, and in the same way, how we spend our money reflects our priorities.
Take some time to pray about how God might help you to “breathe” better. Then set your mind on a goal...then do it.
My guess is that you too have been through seasons in your life when you feel the same way. I would also venture to say that if you are reading this, you are either out of such a season or using this as a break from the chaos. Either way, it is so easy for us to fill our lives with so much that we can
feel overwhelmed and over taxed. It happens in our work life, in our family time, and even in our time with God, and the scary part is that the urge to do more, be more, and keep going is perpetuated by the society around us...and that little voice inside that pushes us to take on just one more thing. And yet, to do can be at our own detriment.
Don’t get me wrong, this season I’ve come through (and we are all about to go through) was one where the things I did were all for great things. Activities around the church benefited many, the Emmaus walk that I helped with had a huge impact on many men including myself, and the marathon I ran was the fulfillment of a long-term goal I’d set for myself. Family activities were a blessing for me, and even the time on the road in between activity was used as time to reflect, but there is something about stopping all the “doing” and simply “being” that brings focus, renewed energy, and wholeness.
I mentioned that I completed a marathon. This was last weekend, and it was my first official marathon. I trained, and for most of the way ran, by myself, and for me that time on the road is a
time to “be.” It is a time to reflect on where I am in life and what I’m doing, and I need that time. In fact, it’s probably what kept me sane over these busy recent days. It helped me to catch my breath.Breathing is an integral part of running. After all, if one doesn’t breathe correctly they can have issues. They can get cramps in their sides, and even pass out if they are not processing air effectively. More common and important however, is the fact that the way one breathes affects their performance.
Beginning runners often breathe in through their nose then exhale through their mouth, but when one does this they do not maximize their breath. That is, they do not get a full breath, and on the exhale they may or may not be able to completely expel the carbon dioxide from the body. One really needs to inhale and exhale from their nose and mouth.
One thing worth noting is that the amount of oxygen needed for the body, thus amount of breaths one take in minute will increase or decrease depending on how much oxygen the body needs. Thus, the more energy one exerts, the more oxygen they need, thus the more quickly their breathing, for
just as food and liquid are fuel for the body, so is oxygen.Ultimately, however, when one gets used to running and trains for awhile, they begin to get “in shape,” and when they get in shape their heart, lungs, and muscles begin to work together. A coordination of the three work together to create a cadence of breathing in, then out...2 steps in, 2 steps out..., and as that cadence is set the runner relaxes. They give themselves over to the activity, and they simply go. And at some point in the training of every runner there is a moment when the activity is less about “doing” and almost completely a way of “being.”
At the beginning of the Bible God creates everything, and on the last day, the 7th day, God names something which we know as “Sabbath.” Sabbath is a day of rest. A day to spend time with God and family. Ultimately, it is a day to simply “be.”
Now I know that very few of us actually take a Sabbath day each week as commanded, myself included, but as always God did know what God was doing when God commanded us to take Sabbath. God knew that we need time to simply let go and be. That the constant working, constant running, constant doing will run us down.
If you’ve ever been diagnosed with hypertension or high cholesterol, you know that a common cause for these diseases is stress and never taking time to simply “be” because there is too much to “do.” Some wonder why heart issues are so prevalent in our society, but God knew a long time ago, if we but listen.
I wonder, how well are you breathing? Where are you deliberately taking “Sabbath” time, even if it’s just 30 minutes during the day, to stop doing and simply “being”? How close to burn out are you? Statistically, at least a few are feeling a little “crispy.”
What is hopeful and wonderful to me is that when we begin to ask such questions and become aware of how busy we are, we can begin to take note of our breathing. We can note whether we’re “inhaling through our noses and exhaling through our mouths” through compartmentalizing our lives in order to cope. That is, we breath in running the kids to practices and rehearsals, then think breathing out is heading to the gym to fit in a quick work out.When we step out of our schedules and genuinely look at how much time we take for ourselves, we are able to assess whether the pace is so fast that we cannot breathe, and adjust accordingly. In fact, if we do it enough, we might even be able to pull back enough to establish a healthy cadence in life, where we take everything in stride and can breathe deeply.
But ultimately, when we do these things, we discover, and/or are reminded, of what God knew and taught from the very beginning. That we need to breathe, not just air, but life. And the way to do that is to step back, take note, then receive the grace of God that is lavished upon us all the time. A grace that is easily missed when we never stop.
Look at your schedule or think back on the last three months. Where has the time gone? The ways we spend our time reflect our priorities.
Look at your checkbooks. Where has the money gone? Money and time are integrally connected, and in the same way, how we spend our money reflects our priorities.
Take some time to pray about how God might help you to “breathe” better. Then set your mind on a goal...then do it.
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