Just Breathe

7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. – Genesis 2:7 (ESV)

Our church is preparing for our first church camp at the end of this month. As preparations for camp began, I found myself struggling with my place in all of the planning. I felt as if there should be a set theme or intention behind the weekend. Our church has been focusing on being and doing, and what that looks like within our church model. We’ve done intensive work in the area of emotional health and spiritual disciplines. Conversation was sparking phrases like “childlike faith” or “entering into joy”. Words like practice, rhythm, and patterns were being pulled out and considered. My goal was to find a cohesive theme to focus on.

Eventually, the “Rhythm of Fellowship” was the landing spot, and that would encompass the ideas of solitude and community. Once I received the packet, it wasn’t clicking for me. Even though this theme fully represented the ideas that we had discussed and even ones I had pitched, I felt disconnected from it. Because of all the work I’ve done in the realm of emotional health these past two years, I knew I wanted to understand how I was feeling. In the past, I might have criticized the theme due to lack of understanding, but instead, I was going to sit with my feeling of disconnection and allow space for God to connect the dots.

Cut to today, about three weeks later, and I received a thought about breathing. I sat in my living room and paid attention to my breathing pattern. How inhaling and exhaling was this rhythm set forth at our creation. I thought about the first breath in Genesis 2, and how it was the first relational act between God and man. Then the theme clicked for me.

Breathing is a pattern set forth by God, where two distinct actions work in tandem with one another. Man’s relationship to God began with the first breath, and it has continued ever since. The inhale of His presence allows for the exhale of His spirit. The inflow of solitude leads to the outflow of community. The inflow of rest leads to the outflow of relationship. It’s a continuous rhythm that reflects the relationship between God and His people.

By allowing myself this time to sit with my confusion, I was given this picture that allows me to understand not only the theme but more about the nature of God. His desire to work with us was established in the patterns he set forth in our own creation. God wants to restore us to the natural rhythm of fellowship with Him. Breathe in. Breathe out. He wants to restore us to the natural pattern of relationship. Inhale. Exhale. He wants to work with us in tandem to bring Heaven down. Inflow. Outflow. Not only are we practicing the pattern he set forth, we are the pattern.

All we have to do is breathe.