Breathe

“Life moves at a million miles per hour.”

I don't remember where I first heard this phrase. At this point, I think it's one of those phrases that everybody just knows. Life flies by in an instant. One moment you’re a small kid just starting kindergarten with nothing more than an excited smile and a backpack in your hand, and then all of a sudden you’re a freshman in college carrying the constant weight of anxiety because of that paper you forgot to write.

All of a sudden life can become a series of deadlines. The feeling of accomplishment that accompanies meeting a deadline immediately fades when the reality of the next one hits you. It becomes a cycle focused only on “the next thing” or “just one more assignment.” We often fall victims to our cycles and end up missing out on the world around us.

“But I have to keep moving forward.”

I would always say this to someone when they suggested that I should take it slow and give myself a moment to breathe. Busyness can become a badge of honor and an excuse for us to neglect rest. But the truth is that living life to the fullest doesn't mean always trying to get ahead. We must take time to breathe and rest because just like it's impossible to run a whole marathon at full speed without passing out, so it’s impossible to get through life at full speed without burning out. Pace yourself. Give yourself time to simply sit back and enjoy every step of the way. Let yourself fully experience life and be open to new changes because like I learned, life doesn’t work out the way you planned it in high school.

Stressful and overwhelming moments will come, but remember that everything is temporary - deadlines come and go. The only thing that remains in the grand scheme of life is your relationship with God. Unfortunately, sometimes we stray away from the purpose and vision God gives us. But we can always come home to Him and realign ourselves with Him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Just like the verse says, we have to learn to lean on God and allow ourselves to both physically and spiritually rest. Allowing ourselves to rest lets us better accomplish our goals and lets us appreciate and learn from whatever season we go through.

It's almost time for a new year, so let’s make these last few weeks count. Let’s continue pacing ourselves, taking breaks, and being intentional with the vision God has placed in our lives.

William Rivero

Service Liaison