Breathe

Life can often be fast paced, moving from one thing to the next without much time to breathe and be still. Activity and noise can be around us constantly. I have been challenged recently to enjoy the moments that I do get to slow down and breathe.

Sometimes that is something that we have to intentionally make time for. One Saturday recently, when we unusually did not have any commitments, we went on a family adventure to Arthur’s Pass. Walking through the New Zealand bush brings me a peace that I often don’t get anywhere else and passing on this appreciation for our native bush is something that I value. We are blessed in Ōtautahi that we don’t have to go far to appreciate the stillness of the bush. Maybe, it is enjoying the blossoms as the seasons change and new life bursts forth again reminding us that winter is only for a time and that blessings come new every morning.

Sometimes those ‘slow down’ moments are less intentional and more thrust on us as someone is sick or we ourselves are recovering from something. These moments can also be valuable in helping us to take a breath and gather ourselves.

Both Hebrew and Greek have a word for ‘breath’ that can also mean ‘Spirit;’ in Hebrew the word is rûach and pnemua in Greek. As we take those moments to breathe and appreciate the pace of life slowing down, remember that as we are aware of our breathing we are also acknowledging that the Holy Spirit or Holy Breath of God inhabits these spaces.

Steve Thorne