The Joyful Necessity of Catching Our Breath
Giving thanks for Thanksgiving
It hit me recently that I had lost any ability to be still and silent.
Two minutes after getting out of bed in the morning, I’d have a podcast on as I made my coffee.
Then the day started: gym, breakfast with the wife and kids, work, lunch, work, dinner, grab the phone and look at social media, put the kids to bed, grab the phone and return some messages, handle one or two chores with a podcast in my ears, then go to bed.
In the brief moments in which I’d read my Bible or stop to pray, the pull of the phone, some task undone, some message unreturned, some project on the back burner, whatever else, would crowd my thoughts the entire time.
My attention span was fried and my ability to hear an original thought or meditate on something for more than 10 seconds before scrolling onto the next thing had all but disappeared.
It’s like a self-made cage in which any spare thought is boxed in by the wall of distraction that prevents the brain from wandering any further.
And when the days go by without ever taking a breath and giving thanks, they create weeks, months, and even years in which we never stop and take a second to look around at God’s goodness and appreciate the lives we’ve been given.
That’s why holidays matter.
There’s a reason Israel’s Leviticus-mandated calendar was filled with Sabbaths, feasts, and festivals. They were a hard working people, but from Creation God had the wisdom to teach them that there’s a time for rest and reconnection, too.
He gave them regular, major holidays to take breaks from work and commune with Him and with each other, but He also gave them the weekly Sabbath. We can take from this that we should gladly take every bit of joy we can get out of our holidays, but also make time for regular rest and reflection in normal, day-to-day life.
These days off, both big and small, were built in to life to remind them of the good God had done for them and His love for them. And, they were to use the opportunities to give thanks for those blessings.
Ingratitude is where sin sets in (Romans 1:21), but thankfulness soothes our anxiety (Philippians 4:6) by giving us Christ’s peace and the Word working on our hearts (Colossians 3:15-17).
The key, though, is to take the time to stop.
The ungrateful nine lepers of Luke 17 didn’t seem to have some defiant streak like some kind of modern atheist. Presumably, they just had business to tend to—showing themselves to the priest and a long-awaited reunion with their loved ones—and so they didn’t come back to thank the Savior.
The one thankful man was in the right, though. The things that seem so pressing can wait a few minutes. First, we return to Jesus and give thanks. Boy, do I need that lesson sometimes.
With Thanksgiving, Christmas, the New Year, and all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season coming in rapid succession starting this week, let them be a reminder to stop and take a breath every now and then.
I’m fairly certain I’m not alone in struggling to tune out the noise and connect with God each day. But I think we have an opportunity with these holidays to pursue a bit of a reset by using the big pauses to remind ourselves of the importance of taking the little pauses.
I’ll be putting my work aside and my phone down as much as possible the next few days to take time for family, to open the Word, and to give thanks to God. And I aim to build on that by continuing to take a breath from life’s pressing matters, notice God’s goodness in my life, and express gratitude to Him daily.
Notes
I’m thankful for YOU!
I’m coming up on 2 years of this site and I can’t explain what a blessing it has been. Thank you first of all to the supporting subscribers, and also to those who share the articles, podcasts, or videos with friends and family, to all who comment and interact, and to the subscribers and readers in general.
It is one of God’s great blessings in my life to make a living talking about the Word and trying to strengthen the church, and that’s only possible because of the folks like you who engage with my work. Thank you to each of you!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I like the reminder that we can only go un-sabbathed so long, by the Creator’s design. Eugene Peterson wrote of this in several of his books. Holidays, though, bring both challenges and opportunities to step back. I make a daily walk a priority for my sanity. I recently participated in a 3-day silent retreat, no internet, no talking for three days. It was amazing, a complete reset. Since then, my walks are silent, making them even more rejuvenating. Last year, in early January, I went to a retreat center for a day of prayer and reflection which helped me prioritize and set some goals for the year. That day of silence was huge for me!
Awaiting think magazine.