Breath of God

♫Spirit Dance♫

"The real and lasting practice for each of us is to remove what obstructs us so we can be who we are, holding nothing back." --Mark Nepo

Scripture tells us that the hope of our glory is Christ in us (Col. 1:27).  Myles Munroe in his book, "365 Days to Understanding, Releasing and Maximizing Your Potential" says that because Christ is already in us, "Our task is not to get Christ into us, but out of us."  This brought to mind a well....

This pump handle (which is no longer attached to a well) was once used to draw water from a well.  I remember using such a pump at my greatgrandparents' house in the 1950's.  It was their only means of water and it was located on the back porch.  Their very sustenance depended on getting that water out of the well and into their buckets so they could drink, cook, and wash.  

When Jesus visited the well in Samaria he told the woman that He was the living water (John 4).  He told her that the water that He gives will become in her a spring of water welling up to eternal life.  This is what Munroe is talking about....letting that water, which is welling up in us, out.  As Mark Nepo puts it, we need to remove what obstructs us from being who we are--vessels of God's love.  We are made in the image of God.  When we accept the gift of salvation, we receive Christ into us, our hope of heaven.  We are therefore Christ-like--we are in His "image" which means "the essence of the being."  Even when we fall far short, it does not change who we really are.  

Too often I think we let our failure at appearing Christ-like define who we think we are.  This is a defeatist attitude.  Instead, how much better it would be to seek to learn what is obstructing the natural flow, the welling-up of the living water that is in us.

This morning Ken pointed out to me that I breathe twice as fast as he does, even in sleep.  I know this to be true because I tend to breathe shallowly and therefore have to work twice as hard to get the oxygen I need.  Breath is such a fundamental element of life just as water is.  I realized that if I were to pay attention to my breath and exhale fully with each breath, I'd automatically breathe in fully.  The obstacle to my exhaling fully has always been my shallow breathing.  Just like the obstacle to being fully who I am is like that pump no longer attached to the well, I need only make sure the pipe is extended into the well and attached to the pump.  

Perhaps I have the pump sitting out in my garden as decoration?  Or might it be attached to something that looks like a well, but instead is merely a dry hole?  As I breathe deeply drawing in oxygen, I'll ponder this question and see what answers bubble up from my well of living water.

Father, slow my breathing down so that I may partake of your living water--the breath of life, Your Spirit.

Link to scripture:  Job 32:8

Take action: