He... took a deep breath and just
let it go.
The last few days of life John had on
this side of eternity were hard…hard to breathe. Any regular apparatus' that
were normally used for supplying oxygen were not capable of providing enough
air for him to perform this basic need. The respiratory specialists team had a
terrible time fitting together a contraption, a regulator that could give him the ability to
take in enough oxygen, I struggled to watch him fight to breathe…to just
breathe.
To just breathe…how we take this
for granted… until a situation arises giving us reason to panic.
I have been in such a situation myself when I
was first learning to scuba dive; 20 feet under the water, hanging on to a line in
murky water not able to see those who were with me let alone my instructor. Every time someone skimmed the bottom with
their fins the soft lake bottom sent up swirling clouds of debris and silt. Somehow in my struggle to see and to gain balance the regulator came out
of my mouth and I took in some of that murky water. Fumbling to replace the
regulator, still I couldn’t breathe; panic set in and I felt the fear that John
must have known when just breathing was so elusive, struggling to just breathe.
For a time after this, even on
dry land when a struggle came my way this panic would come over me…like I might
forget how to move, how to stand, how to breathe…drowning.
I overcame my fear from that
seemingly terrifying moment, I’ve
learned how to control my breathing, to relax, take it slow and to just
breathe. When any situation presents itself, especially deep in the sea, I've learned to slow down, breathe in, breathe out…the control of it is addictive.
Another thing I have learned
about breathing is how it has a healing effect on the soul, heart and mind. Breathe in as much air as you can, sending it into areas of your body, your liver,
kidney, back, neck, heart, any area that needs attention and then let it go; I learned this while
undergoing the preparations for my kidney surgery…I actually enjoyed breathing
into my pain…just breathe.
Now here’s the thing, when we
find ourselves in any kind of stress, anxiety, fear, betrayal, sadness, unfulfilled
dream or any loss…and you know what, even in joy and excitement...just breathe; it’s a simple exercise to gain control, to
relax, to take in the situation and realize our basic need is to just breathe…all
else will fall into place.
God gives us a contraption, a regulator that
is fully capable of supplying us the air to breathe…His word, His peace, His
grace all fitted together to save us, to give us hope and a future…a reason to
live, to just breathe.
“Just breathe,
Come and rest at My feet
And be, just be.
Chaos calls but all you really
need
Is to just breathe
Just breathe”
Jonny
Diaz, in a song
Me…she took a deep breath and just let it go.
I love that.
