Look Up and Breathe

It can be easy to believe God is not with us when we are overwhelmed. Deanna Bartalini offers an antidote to that thinking.  

A few months ago, I was in a particularly bleak time. Oh, let’s not sugar-coat it: it had been months of my life tilting toward bleak. Family responsibilities were crowding out most of my life and I was down in the dumps. I felt a bit lost and kept wondering when things would turn around.  

One day, in prayer, I was reminded to “look up and breathe” by God. You see, I was looking inward, deep into my life and seeing all that was going on and thinking, “This is too hard.” Friends would say, “Wow, you’ve got lots going on.” I could not give myself a break about how I was failing at life, though I wasn’t. I was having a hard time keeping my house clean and sleeping, but I was not failing.

The more the dust settled and the laundry piles grew, the more upset I became. I kept focusing inwardly on my difficulties and outwardly on tasks.  

Shifting my focus to God

And then I went to Him and the Word and was relieved of the burden of feeling that I was failing at life. It was a simple message: “Look up and breathe," but it made an extraordinary shift in me. First, it reminded me that God is very present in the Word and silence if we pay attention. Then I was struck by how He knew what I needed and kept it simple so I could remember His words and do them without much effort.

Every day, when I am threatened with feelings of overwhelm, I say, “Look up and breathe.” And when I do look up, what do I see? A blue sky and puffy white clouds; an image of Jesus on the cross; Mary; a picture of my grandchildren — or another reminder of how much I am loved and what amazing blessings God has given me.  

God's solutions are simple

We often wait for great revelations or big solutions to our problems. The older I get and the more I pray with Scripture, the more I realize that God’s revelations are often quite simple. He is the God of order, peace, and calm. The circumstances of our life do not magically change when we pray. What changes when we pray is our ability to handle the circumstances.

Prayer reminds us that God is not out there somewhere, watching to see how we will react to our lives. Rather, He is with us, ready to hold us, allowing us to rest on His shoulder, waiting for us to look up so we can see Him and move forward. 

If you are downcast or overwhelmed, I suggest a prayerful reading of Psalm 42. I do not know what God has for you in those verses, but there is a word for you.  

These verses remind me that God is with me and taking care of me:

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your torrents, and all your waves and breakers sweep over me. By day may the Lord send his mercy, and by night may his righteousness be with me! (Psalm 42:8 – 9a) 

Scripture + Silence = Peace

The combination of Scripture and silence puts me in a better frame of mind. It’s not often instantaneously (though sometimes it is), but it calms me down and gives me peace, and then, as I go about my day, reflecting on the silence, I am reassured by what God gave me. And some of the situations have been resolved and others have no resolution so I continue to do the best I can. 

Spending time in silent prayer may not be easy or convenient, but it will help you tremendously. I encourage you to carve out some time in your day for it; I believe the prayer will be a blessing.  

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Copyright 2024 Deanna Bartalini
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