We should have learned so much in 2020 about things we take for granted, but one of the main ones is our ability to breathe. The number of Covid related deaths still continues to rise at an alarming rate. We have heard so much about people with shortness of breath, on ventilators, and on high levels of oxygen to try to survive. Oxygen is not seen but is needed to live, as Christians we can think of God in the same way. Have you thought about your own God given breath?
Genesis 2:7, "Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
Job 12:10, "In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind."
Job 33:4, "The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life."
Psalm 39:5, "You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure."
Psalm 150:6, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord."
"God breathed His own breath of life into man. Man is more than “dust” or physical substance. Man has a spirit. We can picture it this way: Adam’s body had just been formed by God from the dust of the earth—a lifeless human body lying on the ground. Then God leaned over and “breathed” His own “breath of life” into the man’s nostrils; God is the Source of life, and He directly placed life within man." [gotquestions.org]
"There is an ancient prayer called the Jesus Prayer, which also works with breathing. You inhale, “Lord Jesus Christ,” and you exhale, “Have mercy on me.” You inhale your petition. You exhale your surrender. Over and over. I heard it suggested that the Jesus Prayer may be the simplest thing to remember for people with COVID-19 who are going to the hospital, who may have to die alone in isolation.
The most famous breath prayer, derived from Luke 18:13, is the “Jesus Prayer”—Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. But it’s also a useful practice for each one of us. When life gets overwhelming, let’s take a deep breath and remind ourselves of God’s sovereign presence upholding our existence, His breath sustaining ours." [intouch.org]
"God fashioned our days even before we existed (Ps. 139:16), and we exist now only because “the breath of the Almighty gives [us] life” (Job 33:4). Though we don’t know how many breaths we have left—we can rest in the knowledge that He does." [odb.org]
As for myself, I have been keenly aware of the value of each breath since I was 21 years old. I began wearing a negative pressure device at night while I slept to assist my breathing at age 21. It was a bulky device that was like a portable iron lung. It was awful and consisted of a metal cage that fit over my chest and had an overlaying jacket that was cinched at the neck, waist, and wrists to keep air from escaping. A hose connected to the jacket and pushed air in and out to create a vacuum on my chest to help my muscles fully inhale and exhale. The machine was hard on me and my marriage at the time, but it was necessary. I wore it for 13 years. Then, I got my Trilogy/bipap machine and mask that I now use. I used it just for sleep for a few years but eventually went to daytime use as well.
I am thankful for the forced air, not oxygen, that my Trilogy provides. I wouldn't be here without it and it allows me to go out and about. Right now, I can go about 4 minutes without breathing assistance. I live on a timer you might say that says 'time's up, get your mask on'. It's a suffocating feeling that follows me in everything I do. For example, I have just enough breath to brush and mouthwash my teeth then times up. You can ponder about how your own life tasks might be in spurts. Life in 4 minute spurts is not easy but it's doable. God gives me just enough breath to get by and not take those 4 minutes for granted.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the number of moments that take our breath away.