Every Breath You Take

Yesterday while watching Steve and the kids play on the beach, my eyes were drawn to the left of them.  While my intention was not to spy or stalk on anyone, this woman in the picture kept my attention wandering back to her instead of on the scene I was adoring.  

I watched her for several moments to be sure and yes, I was right (I love it when that happens!):  this woman was praising the Lord.  I won’t say I was mesmerized but there was definitely a pull felt as I kept gazing at her, seeing her lifting her hands, over and over again.  I couldn’t hear her but did see her lips moving and I wondered if she was singing, praying, rejoicing, praising, or all of the above.  

Although my eyes kept going back to the world, my little world, this gesture of love and worship reminded me that it doesn’t matter who is around, where one is located, or what the situation is, we are commanded to praise the Lord if we have breath.  Well, this woman surely did!  I don’t feel like she was doing it for show nor did I think she had any clue the impression she was making on me--and possibly others who were watching.  {Sidebar:  later in the day when I asked Steve if he had noticed her, he was askance to realize he had not.  Made me wonder:  why can we often not see what is right in front of our eyes, or at least a little to the right of them?  Hmn.  Maybe our focus is too much on self instead of what’s going on around us? Hmn hmn hmn.}

I know there have been times for various reasons (such as a cold, bronchitis, old age, or too much on my belly) that I could barely muster enough air to blow up a balloon.  I’ve seen people with COPD, asthma, and even some on death’s door who were still breathing, that chest slowly moving up and down to indicate life was still inside of them.  I’ve seen others who have laughed so hard that their breath was taken as the enjoyment of the moment overwhelmed them.  I’ve seen folks who had to be slapped (often quite hard) on the back to bring the air back into them so that whatever object that may have been preventing them from breathing was displaced.  These all had the opportunity to praise God with their breaths--even those that were inhaling their last.  

In conclusion, take a moment today and breathe.  In.  And out.  In.  And out.  Repeat as many times as you need to but while doing so, keep this in mind:  you have 86,400 seconds in a day.  Spare a couple of them, won’t you, to praise our Lord?  He’s worthy!  Lift those hands as an added bonus and those of you who can sing (even if some don’t appreciate your dulcet tones), sing!  “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.  Praise ye the Lord!”

Knowing Me

June 12, 2015

Ever have one of those moments?  You know, the ones where that little voice on one shoulder is telling you what you should do while that other little critter on the opposite shoulder is telling you something completely different?  Kind of reminds me of Adam, Eve, and the serpent.

Now, let’s just go ahead and settle this once and for all:  if Adam had taken control of the situation, things would not have gotten so bad for the rest of mankind.  He had a choice and he made the wrong one.  Eve?  She messed up--no doubt about that.  But Adam still had hope but...he was tempted and in his weakness, he fell.

You and I are daily faced with choices that will either increase our knowledge or make us to be fools because we choose to let our hearts dictate what our minds know should be done.  Whether that deals with finances, food, or fellowship with folks we really shouldn’t be fellowing with, the choice is ours.  God gave us free will.  While we often think we know what is best for us, more times than not I daresay if we’d stop, be still for a moment or two, and pray about it before just jumping in that our selections would be quite different.

I was brought up in a home that was dominated by a man whose mantra could have been “Do as I say and not as I do.”  As a result, when finally on my own, I made many decisions based on my feelings because years of repression had taught me that “knowing” something was to be done in a certain way didn’t necessarily imply that that was the best way it could be done or if it needed to be done at all.  When decisions needed to be decided, I was finally able to have things my way.  And, you guessed it, my way wasn’t always right.  Oh the foolish things I did, knowing better but carelessly making hasty decisions that often cost me.  The pride of doing it my way lasted about six seconds while the repercussions of my actions lasted infinitely longer.

As I conclude this blog today, I strongly urge you, friends, to think before you act.  Take just a couple of seconds and pause.  Breathe.  Try to look at what you are doing from a higher realm and think:  what effects will this choice have in an hour, in a day, in a month?  Will the guilt be worth the momentary glory?

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, as I come to You this day, my heart has some decisions that want to be made quickly and--if I am honest--in ways that will gratify my flesh.  I can tell myself that it’s my time, that these things only regard me, and that it’s no one’s business what I do with my life.  But Lord, You and I both know that that is not true.  My life--in spite of what I think, in spite of those two voices on either shoulder--does matter to many and the choices I make are not just about me.

So, help me, Father?  Help me to pause, pray, and predict the outcome of the options presented before me.  May I please You, honor You, and honor myself and the ones who are affected by this in the name of Jesus I pray.  Amen.