Air
This summer, Tim, a 12-year-old friend of our family, joined us for a day of swimming. Although he was excited, he was extremely cautious about the deep end of the pool and would not use the diving board. Having once been a Life Guard, I felt compelled to provide a bit of instruction. I explained to Tim how when our lungs are filled with air, they behave like a ball. I demonstrated this lesson first by holding a ball underwater and letting it go. The ball darted to the surface. Air being lighter than water has to rise. Then I took a deep breath and dove to the bottom of the pool. While I stayed motionless, my body surfaced, lungs first. I also showed the effect of empty lungs, which is staying on the bottom of the pool. Armed with this information, the day progressed excitedly for Tim who demonstrated more and more confidence, eventually diving from the diving board!
Just when Tim thought it couldn’t have gotten any better than this (because now he’d be able to keep up with his friends in their local pool), my husband Bob entered the scene. As Tim watched Bob swim lengths of the pool underwater without coming up for air, he commented in awe about how long Bob could hold his breath. So Bob began to instruct him that while underwater, if he periodically released a small amount of air from his lungs, the air remaining in his lungs would last him longer. The reason behind this phenomenon, Bob explained, is that as you hold your breath, the oxygen gets converted into carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide expands the lungs and creates pressure to be released, hence the feeling that you have to get more air. I wasn’t really sure how much of all that Tim actually understood, but he was willing to give it a try. And when he tried, he DID in fact stay underwater longer, with much more ease than before. As Tim emerged from the water with a big smile, Bob congratulated him for his effort and said: “It’s all about how you manage the air that you have to breathe with.”
As I consider Tim’s two lessons, I am reminded of lines from a worship song that say: “This is the air I breathe, Your Holy Presence living in me. And I’m desperate for You. And I’m lost without You.” How well we navigate within the pools of life, and how much fun we have doing so, is all about how we manage the Air we have to breathe with. In John 20, we see Jesus breathe on the disciples and tell then to receive the Holy Spirit. Job tells us that the breath of the Almighty gives us life and understanding. As seen in the lives of the disciples and Job, sometimes circumstances can try to sink us to the bottom. These are the times when we take a deep breath of the Holy Spirit and rise above opposing forces. There are other times when we must maneuver for a season below the water’s surface, when we must engage a challenge head-on. In those times, we strategically exhale a little at a time so that the Air remaining in us does not become polluted pressuring us to end the quest prematurely. Consider how Jesus managed the Air He had to breathe with during His time on this earth. Remember when He was tempted in the wilderness by the adversary? Luke 4:1 says that being filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. In Matthew 4, we see the series of the evil one’s attacks on Jesus’ identity and devotion to the Father. Jesus responded to each attack by releasing Truth, a small amount at a time, ultimately overcoming the enemy’s temptations and being restored by ministering angels.
John 20:21-22
21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Job 32:8
But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
Job 33:4
The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Father God, You are the air we breathe, and we are desperate for You. We are lost without You. Reveal to us, dear Lord, how to manage Your Holy Presence within us. Help us to trust that as we fill ourselves up with You, we will rise. Cause our days to progress excitedly as we demonstrate more and more confidence in the life and understanding that You faithfully breathe into us. In Christ’s Name, amen.
Barb and Yerusha
Just when Tim thought it couldn’t have gotten any better than this (because now he’d be able to keep up with his friends in their local pool), my husband Bob entered the scene. As Tim watched Bob swim lengths of the pool underwater without coming up for air, he commented in awe about how long Bob could hold his breath. So Bob began to instruct him that while underwater, if he periodically released a small amount of air from his lungs, the air remaining in his lungs would last him longer. The reason behind this phenomenon, Bob explained, is that as you hold your breath, the oxygen gets converted into carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide expands the lungs and creates pressure to be released, hence the feeling that you have to get more air. I wasn’t really sure how much of all that Tim actually understood, but he was willing to give it a try. And when he tried, he DID in fact stay underwater longer, with much more ease than before. As Tim emerged from the water with a big smile, Bob congratulated him for his effort and said: “It’s all about how you manage the air that you have to breathe with.”
As I consider Tim’s two lessons, I am reminded of lines from a worship song that say: “This is the air I breathe, Your Holy Presence living in me. And I’m desperate for You. And I’m lost without You.” How well we navigate within the pools of life, and how much fun we have doing so, is all about how we manage the Air we have to breathe with. In John 20, we see Jesus breathe on the disciples and tell then to receive the Holy Spirit. Job tells us that the breath of the Almighty gives us life and understanding. As seen in the lives of the disciples and Job, sometimes circumstances can try to sink us to the bottom. These are the times when we take a deep breath of the Holy Spirit and rise above opposing forces. There are other times when we must maneuver for a season below the water’s surface, when we must engage a challenge head-on. In those times, we strategically exhale a little at a time so that the Air remaining in us does not become polluted pressuring us to end the quest prematurely. Consider how Jesus managed the Air He had to breathe with during His time on this earth. Remember when He was tempted in the wilderness by the adversary? Luke 4:1 says that being filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. In Matthew 4, we see the series of the evil one’s attacks on Jesus’ identity and devotion to the Father. Jesus responded to each attack by releasing Truth, a small amount at a time, ultimately overcoming the enemy’s temptations and being restored by ministering angels.
John 20:21-22
21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Job 32:8
But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
Job 33:4
The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Father God, You are the air we breathe, and we are desperate for You. We are lost without You. Reveal to us, dear Lord, how to manage Your Holy Presence within us. Help us to trust that as we fill ourselves up with You, we will rise. Cause our days to progress excitedly as we demonstrate more and more confidence in the life and understanding that You faithfully breathe into us. In Christ’s Name, amen.
Barb and Yerusha
posted by BreadBakers at 12:17 PM
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