Just Breathe

The weight of it all is sometimes too much to bear. Sometimes too much to even catch your breath. When the phone call comes, when the bills pile up, when the report isn’t what you’d hoped, when a loved one’s heart is broken. When your heart is broken. When failure is knocking at the door.

Sometimes it’s all you can do. Just breathe.

But what about those times when it’s not too much to carry and you just keep going and going, forgetting to step away. Forgetting to just breathe and surrender? Saying yes to every opportunity. Saying yes to the endless list of to-dos and errands and business ventures? Those are the times you have to force yourself to breathe.

The last few years have been nothing short of crazy. Our lives were flipped upside down in the best possible way. It didn’t take long for me to realize that even though I was well equipped to carry what God had given me, I still couldn’t do it all and do it all on my own. I had to learn to walk away.

There have been moments of tremendous stress and moments of calm and joy. But in all of it, I’ve had to get into the practice of breathing. More importantly, exhaling. Inhaling everything God is giving me and exhaling all that He is not.

Inhaling the path, the journey, the trials, the failures. As much as I’d love to see those disappear, those are the things that make me who God has designed me to be. Those are the things that will help me along the way.

It’s in these moments that I have to remove myself from the norm. Go to my room, shut the door, and fall to my knees. Surrendering all to the only one who can carry it. Leave the house and go for a walk to breathe in whatever it is he has for me at that moment.

The best decision I’ve made in this unexpected season is committed to walking almost daily. I have to physically get out of the house, away from the noise and the to-dos. Sometimes I listen to a podcast or a sermon. Sometimes just worship music. I have to get my heart pumping and experience some of God’s creation to be reminded how small I actually am and how enormous he is.

I want to challenge you to schedule some time in your day to breathe. Sure, you can’t force an “a-ha” moment, but you can certainly set yourself on the right path to receive one. If you don’t take control of your days, your days will control you. And I promise that the busy life is not going to give you much breathing room.

Take some time today to just breathe.

This series is apart of The Refined Collective.  Be sure to check out the other ladies apart of this collective on Instagram today–as well as the articles on their blogs: Kat Harris, Jackie Viramontez,  Julien Garman,   Tutti del Monte, Nikia Phoenix, Brynn Watkins, Jessica Chow, Tonhya Wysong, Joanne Encarnacion, :