I'm Out Of Breath

I'm sure we have all felt that out of breath feeling. Going up a ton of stairs, working out, or chasing after the dog. For me asthma gives me that feeling a little more than the usual so I know that feeling all to well. But have you ever felt spiritually and emotionally out of breath? Like you've been running for too long and you feel like you are basically in the same place gasping for air? Biologically when we run too hard and too long our body starts to breathe in more and more heavily creating the sensation that you are out of breath. It's the way our body maintains homeostasis. Homeostasis is, 'to maintain internal stability, owing to the coordinated response of its parts to any situation or stimulus that would tend to disturb its normal condition or function'. Spiritually when we feel out of breath it is Gods way of keeping us in "spiritual homeostasis".

We have so many plans, goals and dream and we just want to run towards them. But life was not meant to be a 10k marathon, it's meant to be the most inspiring and beautiful stroll in the park with a few falls along the way. For an impatient person like myself this concept is so hard to grasp. We do so much and burn ourselves out to only be standing a few feet from where we just were just gasping for air. Take the motto of the story 'The Tortoise and The Hare'; "slow and steady wins the race" to refresh you mind this is the story: 

"Once upon a time there was a hare who, boasting how he could run faster than anyone else, was forever teasing tortoise for its slowness. Then one day, the irate tortoise answered back: “Who do you think you are? There’s no denying you’re swift, but even you can be beaten!” The hare squealed with laughter.“Beaten in a race? By whom? Not you, surely! I bet there’s nobody in the world that can win against me, I’m so speedy. Now, why don’t you try?” Annoyed by such bragging, the tortoise accepted the challenge. A course was planned, and the next day at dawn they stood at the starting line. The hare yawned sleepily as the meek tortoise trudged slowly off. When the hare saw how painfully slow his rival was, he decided, half asleep on his feet, to have a quick nap. “Take your time!” he said. “I’ll have forty winks and catch up with you in a minute.” The hare woke with a start from a fitful sleep and gazed round, looking for the tortoise. But the creature was only a short distance away, having barely covered a third of the course. Breathing a sigh of relief, the hare decided he might as well have breakfast too, and off he went to munch some cabbages he had noticed in a nearby field. But the heavy meal and the hot sun made his eyelids droop. With a careless glance at the tortoise, now halfway along the course, he decided to have another snooze before flashing past the winning post. And smiling at the thought of the look on the tortoise’s face when it saw the hare speed by, he fell fast asleep and was soon snoring happily. The sun started to sink, below the horizon, and the tortoise, who had been plodding towards the winning post since morning, was scarcely a yard from the finish. At that very point, the hare woke with a jolt. He could see the tortoise a speck in the distance and away he dashed. He leaped and bounded at a great rate, his tongue lolling, and gasping for breath. Just a little more and he’d be first at the finish. But the hare’s last leap was just too late, for the tortoise had beaten him to the winning post. Poor hare! Tired and in disgrace, he slumped down beside the tortoise who was silently smiling at him. “Slow and steady wins the race” he said"

"Don't take life so seriously, no one gets out alive anyways" I have no clue who said that quote but I heard it when I was in 8th grade and I put on my Myspace status (holla). Till this day almost 8 years later, there is not a week that goes by that I don't have to remind myself this. Because it is so true, we get so caught up with being the best, having the best, doing the best that we often lose our breath trying to accomplish everything so fast. Slow down and enjoy the world around you. Yes there are people doing more and getting more than you but that doesn't not mean you have to go out of your way and run at their pace or run faster. Your time will come.

Jesus' life is the prime example of this. He had two purposes in his life. Do His miracles(gospel) and die on the cross for our sins. Simple. He probably could have done this all by the age of 25 no doubt. But his first miracle was at age 30! THIRTY YEARS of waiting for the right time. Three years of ministry and at 33 he died on Skull mountain for you and me and to live out the Scripture. So why do you keep thinking that your whole life should be accomplished by 25?

"Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry. But you said, ‘It’s no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’ -Jeremiah 2:25 NIV

The version The Message says it in a way that I absolutely love! (and I'm not the biggest fan of this version) 

"Slow down. Take a deep breath. What's the hurry? Why wear yourself out? Just what are you after anyway? But you say, 'I can't help it. I'm addicted to alien gods. I can't quit.'"-Jeremiah 2:25 MSG

Don't be in a hurry, catch your breath, smell the roses and walk, you will still reach the same destination but you'll get to enjoy what is around you. When you feel spiritually and emotionally out of breath take it as a message from God saying "Hey there! Slow down a bit, you're losing your breath, take a walk with me instead of running by yourself"

With Love & Grace- Diana C