BREATHING

“He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things…  For in him we live, and move, and have our being.” —Acts 17:25, 28

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” I’m sure you’ve heard that catchy saying. Upon first hearing it, one might say, “Amen.”

But after further considering that little statement, I think it is misleading. If you only measure life by those moments that take your breath away, you will be missing some of the best moments in life—The common ordinary blessings of life!  Life is not made up of BIG things. Life is a lot of little things all running together.

I will turn 64 years old next week and the longer I live, the more I appreciate the little things of life. Zechariah wrote, “Who hath despised the day of small things?” (Zech. 4:10). In a day and age when the world says, “Bigger is better,” we need to remember Zechariah’s words. More doesn’t always mean greater and being busier doesn’t equal being important.

When you think of that which is “breathtaking” consider the act of breathing itself. We breathe without thinking about it. It is ordinary, common, and taken for granted.  But for a person who has emphysema, asthma, lung cancer, or pneumonia, breathing is no small thing. My good friend  Dr. Ken Blue has ALS.  For him, breathing is becoming more and more difficult. Every breath is treasured.

Breathtaking??? The Bible says God literally holds our breath in His hands (Dan. 5:23), and He could “take it away” anytime! Every breath we take is a miracle.

Rather than look for meaning in breathtaking moments, we should find meaning in every breath we take, and make every breath meaningful.