Who Is Holding Her Breath

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

AS A KID IN THE MIDSIXTIES, I often went to a beach called Green Grass in my hometown. I know, that’s an odd name for a beach, but on this coast of Rhode Island, there was a long stretch of green grass, two feet of sand, and then—boom—the bay. Back then, adults were busy being adults while the kids were busy being kids, which meant that we had to look out for one another. This is important because although I enjoyed going to Green Grass, I did not know how to swim, and this beach didn’t have any lifeguards. What Green Grass did have was a giant boulder jutting out about fifteen yards into the water. And all the kids loved jumping off it and swimming back to the sandy shore.

Since I didn’t know how to swim, I didn’t go out that far. I mostly stayed close to the beach and had fun. But one afternoon a few kids decided to help me out to the rock. They each took an arm, and off we went. The trouble was that once we reached the boulder, they forgot I couldn’t swim and paddled away.

As I stood there wondering what to do, a line of children formed behind me. They were waiting their turn to jump in. Kids were diving off in every direction. I didn’t move, but the next thing I knew, I was in the water. Actually, I was under the water and splashing furiously trying to surface.

I popped up once, then twice, gasping for air, and then suddenly I was being pulled to shore. An older girl wearing a pink swim cap dragged me to the beach. I must have swallowed a pint of water, but once safely on the sand I finally caught my breath.

Have you ever found yourself underwater, unable to breathe? Or maybe, friend, you weren’t anywhere near water, but you were holding your breath through a hard season of life. Sometimes that’s all you can do. The moments I was under the dark waters at Green Grass were not the time to breathe, but once I made it safely to shore, it was time to take a breath again.

Here is something important to know: When you’ve been holding your breath for answers that finally come, it’s okay to inhale and exhale again; when you get through that hard moment or shift in seasons, it’s okay to breathe again. It would have been pretty silly of me to sit on that sand and refuse to breathe. No, I was gasping for air and choking out the salty water I’d swallowed.

Tonight you don’t have to continue holding your breath. We pray that the Holy Spirit would fill your lungs to fullness and give you new strength and power. We pray that you would not remain breathless but would be rescued from whatever is trying to sink you in this season, whatever is weighing on your heart. Then you can join the psalmist who said, “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.”

Tonight we pray for the momma who is holding her breath, waiting to see how it all turns out. Lord, this momma needs help, hope, or a miracle. She needs You to step in, to reach into her situation and rescue her, or to simply resolve what’s weighing on her heart. Tonight, Lord, please remind her that she doesn’t have to remain breathless, that Your Holy Spirit can fill her with Your power and strength, and that she can be strong in You. Bless her tonight.

We pray in Jesus’s name, amen.

Holy Spirit, help me to inhale Your grace and peace as I release these worries to You...