Just Breathe...

I read the most amazing biblical teaching the other day and had to share it with Josh as soon as I heard it. It was on a weekend that it was just he and I and we went to one of our favorite sweet coffee and breakfast places in our little town. As I read him the story that I was so captivated by we both got chills. It is amazing how you can grow up in church and read many biblical teachings throughout the years and yet there are so many more things that we do not learn until later in life. Perhaps that is what keeps our faith so strong and what makes the bible one of the most fascinating books ever written.

This particular teaching was about Moses finally asking God what his name was. Could you imagine being so bold to be in the presence of God and asking a question at all let alone asking for His name? Well now that I think of it I am so nosey I can totally relate to this but those much holier than me seem appalled by such brashness. The good news is that the God of mercy graciously answered Moses that day and the name He gave in the original Hebrew was "YHWH." Interestingly, like most things in our language we have added vowels to make the pronunciation easier- so "a" and "e" were added and that is how we got the name we have come to know..."YaHWeH" (ya-way). But that is not what makes this teaching so captivating. Scholars have noted that the original Hebrew letters given to Moses of the real name of God (YHWH) actually represent the sounds of breathing. Take a deep breath in so you can hear it then breath out so you can hear it- and you have just spoken the Hebrew name given to Moses for God. Many believe that the name of God is so holy that we dare not speak it. Those few that have seen the face of God described it as so holy they could not even look upon it. So how beautiful that God himself has allowed us to speak His name every moment that we are alive. We speak His name every moment of the day- awake or asleep. In joy or pain. In sickness or in health. A name that is the first sound that comes from a newborn baby when they are born and the last sound that comes from man the moment we meet the Lord in heaven. Think about the times you are exhilarated and joy fills your heart and you breath in with excitement- you are saying the name of the Lord in that special moment. Think about the storms in our life and the moments you have cried out in pain. It is in those moments that we are told "just breathe." It is with the name of the Lord on your lips as you inhale deeply and exhale that makes you relax, calm down and feel secure. What a beautiful gift He gave to us.

So do me a favor...the next time you are feeling sad or down or perhaps when you are in the middle of your storm like so many of my Blonde Bombshell Dolls are right now- take a deep breath and listen to the sound of the inhaling and exhaling and know that you are saying the name of the one that holds you close. The same name of the one that will never leave your side through this storm and... Just breathe.