Breathe'n Grace

At the gym today, I heard Anna Nalick's song, "Breathe/2am" and the lyrics struck me.

"2am and she calls me 'cause I'm still awake,
'can you help me unravel my latest mistake?
I don't love him. Winter just wasn't my season'
Yeah we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes
Like they have any right at all to criticize,
Hypocrites. You're all here for the very same reason."

I was struck by the human commonality of the need to "unravel the latest mistake" and the feeling that others stand in judgement. I wonder if it might be that there are these two types of people: those who make mistakes...and those who hold it against them. And wondered too if both those types of people might be in each of us?

Ealier tonight, at a local restaurant, as I walked into the Ladies room, I heard little-girl giggling from behind the door. Peeking behind it, I observed, two 7 or 8 year old girls, holding their breath, stiffened flat against the wall, eyes wide, but avoiding my gaze. And, then, as our eyes met, like a flash, they scrambled, huffing and puffing, underneath my arm and out of sight, almost before I could blink. I smiled at their joyful mischieviousness and at the fact that I'd "caught them." Contemplating their reaction, I smiled again at the familiarity of such human behavior, which Anna's song attempts to describe:

"'cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable
and life's like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button, girl.
So cradle your head in your hands."

Just like those little girls...when "caught" we either hold our breath, wishing to "push rewind" or we suck in as much air as possible, trying to "jump the track" and put distance between our consciousness and our wrong actions. It is a typical response when humans blow it to either try to hide...or to run.

But what if we do as the song suggests in the next few lines?

"Breathe
just breathe
oh breathe,
just breathe."

What a restful thought...a gracious thought. In the panic of "being caught" instead of hiding...or running....just stop...and breathe. Wouldn't it be amazing if in the middle of guilt, or shame, or condemnation, or regret...if we could just take our time...slow down...and breathe? And in regard to others, whom we might be tempted to judge, instead of judging, what if we gave them room to just breathe?

Room to breathe is grace. When we've done wrong...we hold our breath...or let our breathing get out of control....feeling dis-ease with ourselves.

It has been almost shocking to me, what I have experienced of God in those moments of dis-ease or disease. In powerful ways, I have felt God call me to come and be healed, when I'd rather run or hide. But I have experienced that God really is our Great Physician and does actually long for our healing.

God meets us in the place of our brokeness. Meets us with grace....meets us with rest....meets us with Holy breath. And it is God's breath...God's Holy Spirit that restores us and renews us and gives us new life. As God breathes on us...we are invited to rest in mercy and grace and forgiveness.

God invites us to just breathe.