One Breath

Copyright 2011 Lori Hadorn-Disselkamp

Do we live by the simple act of breathing in and out alone?
One breath in…one breath out…and there it is…life
On the inhale, do we take in the goodness of God?
On the exhale, do we rid our bodies, minds and souls of the pollution of our human failings?
Or do we take it all in and blow it all out?
We, as a culture, rarely pause long enough to catch our breath much less realize what we are breathing
We are a people enticed by the world, energized by motion and engaged by pleasure
When God created the light in the darkness…the love in the world…
Was His intent that we simply live
Or was His intent that we live simply?
Living simply is not to be equated with a dirt floor and no furniture
Living simply is living without excess of materialism, negative thoughts, and too many tasks
Our lives are multi-tasked, not single actions,
Our lives are a blur of things we have checked off a list and a calendar of things yet to check off
How then do we catch our breath and discover the rhythm of our lives
How then will we sit still when the motion is what propels us?
Stop, simply put, Stop
Not forever, just for a time, just for a few minutes each day
Stop and breathe… inhale goodness and exhale pollution
In that moment close your eyes to your schedules and open your mind to God
In that silence simply be at peace, listen for the breathing and embrace the goodness that fills your lungs
Exhale the chaos, calendars and chores
Choose to transcend this worldly, worrisome existence and find an inner peace
Take the time to be there in that moment…in that breath…in that simple existence
One breath in…one breath out…and there it is quite simply…life

Copyright 2015 Lori Hadorn-Disselkamp
Photo copyright 2011 Lori Hadorn-Disselkamp. All rights reserved.