God's Coaching #193

God's Coaching #193

How long can you hold your breath? Get a watch and time yourself. What did you get? Thirty seconds? Forty-five? A minute? Studies show the average person can hold his or her breath for about 45 seconds. So can you imagine what it would be like to hold your breath for nearly 20 minutes? In July 2009, Karol Meyer held her breath for 18 minutes and 32 seconds while being submerged under 300 feet of water.

Karol has had the nickname “Fish” since she was a young girl. She started diving when she was little and began competing in free diving (in which an athlete holds his or her breath and dives as far as possible underwater) in 1996. By 2009, Karol held five world records, including longest time holding breath underwater. Before Karol went under the water, she inhaled pure oxygen to help her body get ready for the feat.

What’s the Score?

Karol trained her body to go without oxygen for a long time . . . a really, really long time. (And she used special techniques to allow her body to go deep underwater, so don’t try this at home.) The human body needs oxygen to live. That’s the way God created us. We naturally breathe in and out to sustain our lives. By breathing in pure oxygen before heading underwater, Karol was able to set a world record. She also holds the world record for holding her breath without first breathing in pure oxygen at seven minutes and 18 seconds.

The Bible says that God is ultimately in control of our lives. You’ve probably sung the song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Well, in the book of Job it says, “The life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being” (Job 12:10). Other verses in the Bible say that God knows how many days we will live. God is in control of everything. His power is limitless. God has big plans for your life. Who knows? Maybe someday you’ll set your own world record.

On the Ball

Breathing comes naturally. For the next minute, every time you breathe in and out thank God for your life. Breath is a gift from God, and he deserves our praise.

Coach’s Comment

The life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being. Job 12:10