Posts
Thursday, June 9
Fresh air. That’s the topic for the Christianwriters.com blog chain for June. (You can read the other entries for the month in the right sidebar.) I thought about skipping it. Nothing came to mind. Nothing. Zero. Nada. Zippity-doo-dah!
But on the day I was going to beg off, I opened the windows in the house. What a beautiful day! Low humidity. Crystal blue sky. Wispy white clouds. Gentle breeze. And the sweet serenade of the birds’ trilling.
I turned the window fan on in the kitchen to bring in that wonderful aroma of fresh air. Ahhh! One of my favorite things! My body loves that cool, clean, fresh air. I love spring and fall when those crisp breezes come to visit. My whole body smiles and sighs a big thank you!
As I sat down to write, my mind wandered back many years, MANY years, to before I began school. My parents and I lived with my grandparents on a large, self-sustained farm. That means we had pigs, horses, cattle, dairy cows, chickens, turkeys (they really are dumb), ducks, and the obligatory barn cats. We even had our own dairy, orchard, flower and vegetable gardens, and great places to run and play.
One of my most precious memories of those days is of my sweet grandmother. She had one of the workmen plant a bazillion jonquils and daffodils along the hillside by the creek. Every spring, as the frozen stream melted into new life, giggling up bubbles over the rocks, the flowers burst forth into a sea of yellow.
At one point, the stream split and came back together, creating a small, I mean tiny, island. Granny had a footbridge built to the little island. We would pack our lunch and go to the island for a picnic. I remember the brisk air, fresh and redolent with a multitude of blossoms.
These days, I’m not as fortunate to enjoy the outdoors. Besides weather changes and conditions, numerous other things aggravate the fibromyalgia that affects my body. I also cannot bear to be in a place where the air is too warm, stuffy, or stagnant. I feel smothered.
Have you ever been in a place where the air hung so close, so stagnant, so confining that you could barely catch your breath and you craved fresh air?
The same is true of my spirit; it hates to be smothered and stagnant with a myriad of troubles and attitudes. It needs the breath of the Holy Spirit to breathe fresh life into it. Someone once said, “Breath is Spirit. The act of breathing is Living.”
After fashioning man, God drew near him as His Spirit hovered and “blew into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2:7 Masoretic Text)
The breath of living. That breath of God, that divine inspiration, still infuses man, supplying him with the vital breath of the Lord’s likeness. He is our Life, the very breath of our souls.
The Lord “Himself gives life and breath to everything,” (Acts 17:25a TLB) “the soul of every living thing is in the hand of God, and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:10 TLB)
(Some of this is from The Breath of the Almighty. You can read it here.)
In the midst of writing this, I made one of my daily comments for everyone to have a good day on Facebook, “Happy Monday, everyone! Smile! May your day be filled with progress, provision, encouragement, and good surprises! Enjoy! :D”
My cyber-friend Dana Pratola responded, “Wow, Lynn, it’s always nice to see one of your encouragements on here. It’s like a breath of fresh air. ♥” I laughed and asked her if she was part of our blog chain. I thought she was teasing me.
But isn’t that what we are supposed to be: a breath of fresh air to others? If the Lord has shared His precious breath with us, shouldn’t we be that holy, fresh breath to others who may feel smothered and stagnant? Shouldn’t we be encouraging rather than whining and complaining?
Is your spirit smothered with circumstances, stagnant with negative attitudes? Have you allowed the Almighty to breathe His Life back into your spirit? Can you say as Job did, “The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4 NKJV)?
May you know that precious breath of fresh, Eternal Life as He infuses it into your body, soul, and spirit.
P.S. I happened to read on a new cyber-friend’s blog, The Widow Lady, about a fund for kids, The Fresh Air Fund. I couldn’t resist passing it along...
THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually. In 2010, close to 5,000 children visited volunteer host families in suburbs and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada. 3,000 children also attended five Fresh Air camps on a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill, New York. The Fund’s year-round camping program serves an additional 2,000 young people each year.
Lynn, I say this with all sincerity, that your tweets and blogs are a breath of fresh air. I always look forward to them. I think of the dry bones in Ezekiel, how God blew the wind (Spirit) and they stood on their feet - a vast army. May God blow His wind across all the souls that are dry that they should be refreshed and stand again for the glory of God.
Excellent post, Lynn. I'm glad you didn't skip out on us this month. :)
Aww, Michael, you truly bless me. You are such a wonderful man of God. Thank you so much! It's funny, when I started putting notes together for my post, I had Ezekiel in there, but the post got too long and I took him out. I so appreciate your comment. Blessings to you!
LOL Thank you so much, Traci! I thought about it more than once. I'm glad I stuck it out, too! Bless you!
Great post, Lynn! I agree with the Rev. Your tweets and posts, even if I catch them in passing and don't say anything, are a wonderfully bright spot in my days/weeks. Sometimes just what I need to hear/see that day. :)
I was going to wait until tomorrow to post, but I had to see what you got all excited about!! I loved it! You know as kids who grew up in the city-dreamed on living on a farm. I am sure that kids on the farm wondered about city life. It must have been a wonderful time in your life.
I loved the way you tied in Job, I forget about the wonderful nuggets in that book.
I love the way that God fills us with His life in ways we could never imagine.
Since your post is up early, I'll go ahead and comment early, too! God is certainly our 'refreshment' and it is necessary for us, at times, to look back at our lives and 'remember' all the times He has done this for us in our lives. We can quickly forget His goodness if we let ourselves. I guess that's why He wanted to children of Israel to retell the stories of His deliverance over and over again.
Aww, thank you so much, Liberty! How sweet! You bless me and I appreciate it. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Terrie, I so appreciate your comment. I had the privilege of the farm and the city, well, the 'burbs. I loved it all! Thank you so much for stopping by. Makes my heart happy! Blessings!
So true, Tracy! Great comment. Thank you so much for dropping by! Blessings to you!
Lynn, so enjoyed your post, especially the questions at the end: "But isn’t that what we are supposed to be: a breath of fresh air to others? If the Lord has shared His precious breath with us, shouldn’t we be that holy, fresh breath to others...?" I'm going to post that on my mirror! I can't think of a better question to ask myself every morning. Blessings to you, sweet encouraging friend!
Cindee, you are so incredibly sweet and generous. Thank you so much! You so bless me! Blessings to you!
Your words are always a breath of fresh air, Lynn! You continually bless me with your fresh insights into the Word of God! You are a blessing!
~Erin
Aw, thank you, sweet, Erin! You make my heart happy! Bless you!
This post makes me think of Elijah on the side of the mountain when nature lets loose her fury, but God is in the gently, quiet breeze.... We go through so much in this life, and still God can and does fill us up, invigorate us, renew us with His most gentle touch...
I am OCD about scents. Fresh aromas are so tied to peace, calmness. Between the pungent soccer cleat smells, boy stink (LOL) and maybe an orange gone bad - I live in the midst of smells my nose searching for freshness. Lately, my nose has been caught by the sweet scent of honey suckle. Those sweet aromas always capture my attention and my heart. Beautiful post!
Wonderful. Your posts on CW are fresh air to me. Always a welcome for new folks and they, too, bring fresh air to our group.
Wonderful post, Lynn. It was like a breath of fresh air! I'm ready to pack a basket and cross the bridge to your little island.
Peace and Blessings
I didn't get a chance to read this until today - and of course it was exactly what I needed when I needed it. Thank you for another post that encourages and lifts - like the fresh air in our sails - or beneath our wings. Thank you!
Ahhh, yes, Teri Lynn! Great comment. I totally agree. Thank you for stopping by. Blessings to you!
BCM, oh, I agree. Scent can elicit all kinds of memories and emotions. And I wish I had some honeysuckle for its wonderful aroma. Love that fragrance! Bless you, dear one!
Aw, thank you, Carol! I'm so glad you dropped by! I appreciate it! Bless you!
LOL EG, thank you! Those are some of the best memories of my life. I wish the island and bridge were still there! :( Blessings to you!
Ceci, you are so sweet. I'm so glad it met a need for you. That so blesses me. Thank you! Blessings to you!
Lynn, so often I look for and require that breath of fresh air from the Holy Spirit. I think that we are need to ask for that from time to time. Funny thing is, I have had the "fresh air" come from many different places. So, you have to remain vigilant. Thanks for sharing this Lynn. I love reading your writing. Glad your a part of the chain.
Lynn - you are truly a breath of fresh air to many who are hurting and weary! Breathing in the pure Word of God and exhaling the staleness of the world. Thank God for His rejuvenation and refreshment in nature as the cool breeze blows into our stuffy lives... Nothing like open windows to let in His goodness and mercy!
Ah, yes, Chris! I agree. We must remain vigilant in seeking the fresh breath of the Holy Spirit. Thank you so much for your kind words, Chris. I'm honored. Blessings to you!
Aw, thank you, Deborah! You bless me. Your words are so true. And yes, thank God for His refreshment! Bless you!
That's very historic,thank you for sharing this with us.
I can see the "fresh air" as a memorable one,a symbol of help to you and us from our father in this pathway of faith.I pray may the power in the fresh air blow us deeper and deeper in the wisdom of God's power and grace.Amen.
What an Ebenezer of fresh air!
Great post Lynn!! I want to go check out that farm now. Whenever I feel confined or stagnant I know I can pick up God's Word and be refreshed with life.
I enjoyed the story about lunch on the little island. That sounds like so much fun for a kid.
I love the way you tied fresh air into the breath of God. It always seems to be the tough topics that brings out the most gold on this chain. Thankyou for your encouragement, and your challenge.
I want a little island!! :D Beautiful post! Thank you, Lynn! It was exactly what I needed today!
Hello, Olotu! Thank you so much for visiting and commenting. Makes my heart very happy. Blessings to you!
LOL It was a wonderful and tiny place of great fun! Unfortunately, the farm is no longer. It is a huge subdivision. And yes, the Word is always a refreshment. Bless you!
Thanks so much, Adam! Yes, it was great fun. I loved it! LOL It certainly did yank my strings this time. Glad you dropped by. Bless you!
Yeah, Sarah, I wish I had that little island to use for a thinking spot! Thanks so much. I appreciate your comment! Blessings to you!
I've referenced it before, but I'll say it again: you were the impetus for the "swirling" theme back in March . . . a month I considered skipping because I didn't see how a blog as esoteric as mine could fit into such an odd groove. I stuck with it, however, and wound up with something I was very pleased with (which, needless to say, would never have existed at all if it weren't for your unorthodox idea for a theme).
Now it's come full circle. You cringed, you hedged, you gave in . . . and you gave us a wonderful bit of wisdom to take with us. That's what I love about this blog chain: we're one another's ultimate writing prompts.
LOL What goes around, comes around, huh? Thanks so much, Scott, for your great comment! Loved it! Blessings to you!
I can relate to feeling smothered, especially in south Alabama's muggy, hot summers. I love fresh, cool air!
It sounds like you grew up in an idyllic setting. Thanks for sharing!
Brought to mind a day I spent (when I was an apprentice) cleaning (by being inside) a big tank full of louvres which was used as a cooler.
Boy was I glad to hit fresh air that day !
Thanks so much, Sheila! I loved it there. It was wonderful! Unfortunately, we did not stay there. We moved to our own home. I missed the farm! Still do!
LOL Keith, just reading that, I need some air! Thanks for stopping by! Bless you!