Name: Diane Hull
Which Service do you attend: Sundays, 9 a.m.
Your Word: Breath
Your Scripture: Revelation 1:8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
“I gotta go breathe,” I told my sister as we lunged over the ditch approaching our backyard. “Okay, but hurry up, we can’t let them beat us,” was her urgent reply. Yanking open our back door, I bolted down the stairs to our Michigan basement where the cold unfinished concrete welcomed quick relief to my labored breathing. I pulled my T-shirt up around my ears and laid down on the floor so every inch of my back could absorb the coolness of the concrete. After a couple minutes, my breathing was restored and I could resume the neighborhood race to Plaster Creek. Nobody but my sister knew about my need to “breathe” when we were out roughhousing with our neighborhood pals, or so I thought. Whether it was hay fever, asthma or some other respiratory ailment, I never wanted anyone to know about it. If my parents knew, I might have to carry some weird inhaler like my dad sometimes did, and I sure didn’t want that. And if the neighborhood kids found out, for sure they wouldn’t want me on their team for Red Rover, Red Light-Green Light, Dodge Ball or the Plaster Creek Race. So, I kept my breathing problems on the Q-T, or so I thought, but God always knew, and always knows no matter what.
God saw my first breath and will see my last, as well as all those countless breaths in between. He’s the beginning and the end, the Apha and the Omega of my life and yours. He is, was and will be, forever more; breathing life into us, sustaining and animating our lives both here and onto eternity. What a comfort it is to know that when I’m outta breath, outta bounds, outta control, outta my mind…God’s got me! He’ll help me catch my breath when I need it, gives me a second wind when I’m almost completely spent, and will breathe a new life eternal into me upon my death.
It reminds me of some lyrics from a song by The Police, “Every breath you take, every move you make, I’ll be watching you.” He’s got His eyes on you and me, watching every breath we take, and because of that we can rest a little more easily. There’s no more need for me to hunker down on a cold concrete floor to catch my breath or to hide my infirmities or shortcomings, cause He sees it all and has my back! What a relief…what a Mighty God!
Prayer: Thank you Lord for your breath on us. We pray for all who suffer respiratory illnesses today.
Action: Take a short walk if you are able reflecting on God’s breath within you.
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