All Things Hold Together

The stresses and pressures of life often act like a centrifugal force, pulling me away from my center. All my calm whisks away as I get sucked in by a whole host of worries – about friends and finances; chores and appointments. Many times, I become so ensconced in the details of what needs to get done that I forget why they need to be done at all.

When my stress levels become high enough, I am forced to become aware of my distraction and mis-guided priorities. I feel so overwhelmed by life that I begin to ask, “why?” Why must I complete these tasks? Why must I nurture these relationships? Why am I so anxious? And then I remember how Jesus taught us to renounce anxiety. I remember how Jesus urged us to trust in God’s guidance day by day, leaving tomorrow’s problems for tomorrow. And then, for the first time in far too long, I take a breath.

Of course, I had been breathing all along, but I had forgotten. I had forgotten to pay attention to my spirit, and to the way that breathing can draw me back into awareness of God’s presence. Yet now that I have become aware of my anxiety, and the way in which my mind is scattered in a hundred different directions, I am invited to come back to the center. If I am willing to slow down and listen, I can sense the principle of God in my heart, my spirit, my breath.

When I wait in stillness, I re-discover the hidden power that draws all my scattered parts back together. Seeking to accomplish my own will, I chased after so many things; but now, I remember that only one thing really matters. As I wait in my breath, I encounter a deeper Breath that breathes in me. I am reminded that I am grounded in something much deeper than my own desires and ambitions. This life within me is greater than all my plans.

Somehow, as I wait in my breath, I experience Christ within me. If I give myself over to his love, he gathers me up and unites all of the competing voices in my head. Waiting in his presence, I am restored to my deepest and truest personality. This Holy Breath empowers me to lead the life that I was created for, turning away from the darkness, selfishness and addiction that has held me back. When I allow him to breath in me, he liberates me to live in simple, naked faith. When he takes his place at the head of my life, all things hold together.