As I sit and watch the rise and fall of my chest,

I wonder…

How many more breaths do I have on this earth? I made a comment to one of my children the other day, and it got me to thinking. I said, “I’m tired of wasting my breath. I keep asking you to do the same thing every day.”

Indeed, I do believe I am wasting my breath talking to him yet again about that messy room but that’s a story for another day.

I do believe that our breaths are numbered. If God has numbered the hairs on our heads and knows when we lose one single strand, he who’s given every snowflake a unique symmetrical design, he who causes the sun to rise and set every single day…yes he knows how many breaths each of us will take on this earth. And while I am here I want my breaths to count. Surely I do not want to waste my last breath.

He breathed into our nostrils the breath of life.

Every inhalation and every exhalation is a gift.

We inhale, our lungs fill up and little hairs, cilia keep dirt, mucus, and bacteria from invading our bodies. Oxygen in the air is taken into the lungs then carried through the blood to your cells. Every single cell in the body needs a continuous supply of oxygen and breathing supplies that need. Then we breathe out waste.

By the age of 80 you will have breathed nearly 600 million breaths. Just imagine…600 million breaths. Something we do so mindlessly. Something we take for granted. Something we put so little effort in. But God shows us that great and mighty things occur when he breathes.

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7

He breathes LIFE

And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22

He breathes SPIRIT

Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Ezekiel 37:8-10

He breathes RESURRECTION

He has breathed these very things into you. But what filter is His fresh wind coming through?

Is your filter like this cabin air filter?

It cleans the air that comes into the interior of your vehicle. It catches dust, pollen, debris and other airborne material. It is recommended that it’s replaced every 12,000-15,000 miles but many have gone YEARS without changing it. You may even have some signs that the cabin air filter needs changing: smelly musty air, reduced airflow and noise.

When we breathe in God, we breathe in fresh wind, not recycled, stale cabin air but life giving air. He supplies the fresh wind and he’s equipped us to take that fresh wind, filter it and use it to oxygenate our lives.

Even in breathing in fresh wind, our cilia trap all kinds of dirt and debris. Our hurts, pains, frustrations, worries, anxieties, cares and concerns can block and cloud our filters. The fresh wind is now stifled. The air is now coming through the clogged filter of our heart. It can feel like we are being choked. We are being starved of pure oxygen and without it we’ll perish. There are signs of stifled breathing and if we are paying attention we can recognize them: lightheaded, fatigued, anxiety, memory loss, irritability, sleeps deprivation and more. Oh, Father let us not be an oxygen-deprived people. Let every breath be breathed as if it were our last. Deep. Full. Cleansing. Healing.

Thank you Jesus that we can clean the filter and breathe without impediment. All it takes is a washing in the Word. My beloved Dyson vacuum was making lots of noise. I was in a near panic as this is a much need tool in my house and a costly one at that. My husband suggested, “check the filter.” And he was right. The filter is washable and needs cleaning every three months. It had surely been longer than 3 months since I’d last cleaned it.

We take out the dirty filter of lies, wounds and negative beliefs and replace it with the pure oxygenated truth of God’s word.

BREATHE IN

Peace

Joy

Love

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self control

Wisdom

Strength

BREATHE OUT

Frustration

Irritability

Impatience

Annoyance

Aggravation

Jealousy

Envy

Malice

Hatred

Judgment

I breathe you in God. Breath contains water. You are the river of living water. You are LIFE. There is water in your breath. On a cold day, you can see your breath, as the water vapor in your lungs becomes a small cloud when pushed out of your mouth. Oh the joy of being a kid and making shapes, rings and things with my breath smoke. Thank you God that you remind us that there is life sustaining water even in our breathing.

When He utters His voice—

There is a multitude of waters in the heavens:

“He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;

He makes lightnings for the rain;

He brings the wind out of His treasuries.”

Jeremiah 51:16

Join me in breathing deeply today friends as we breathe Him in. When I was just 18, my mother took her last breath. I had seen her a few days prior and she gave no indication that she knew her breaths were numbered. Even.as.she.took.the.very.last.breath. Did she realize the end was imminent? When I’ll take my last breath, I have no idea. But I have purposed to live life embracing the now moment, knowing that the next breath could very well be my last so I ought to make it count.

SLOW

DEEP

PURPOSEFUL

BREATHING

Breathing is a time of refreshing.

Every breath is a celebration of life.

Don’t waste it.

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!