Lenten Thoughts: Deep Spirit breaths heal body, soul

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The Perry Ministerial Association will not hold weekly Tuesday Lenten services and luncheons this year, but rather association members will be sharing a weekly reflection with the community here in this space. This week’s reflection is by the Rev. Cat Stokes, pastor of the First United Methodist Church.

We invite you, if you feel inclined, to send an offering or donation to the Good Samaritan Fund that supports our community outreach and assistance program. Those donations can be sent to Perry Ministerial Association, P.O. Box 156, Perry, IA 50220.

This Lenten season, my congregations are focusing on the healing stories of Jesus in the book of Matthew.

It has been a long year. One of the aspects of healing that we need to remember is to breath — not just those breaths we take automatically in order to supply our bodies with much needed oxygen but the purposeful, deep breaths that remind us that God has breathed life into all of us.

Genesis tells us that God created Adam and breathed life into him. Job 33:4 states, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” It is that deep intentional breath that reminds us of the breath of God the almighty.

Sure, our bodies need oxygen, but our souls also need those deep breaths, those Spirit breaths. We are not out of the woods yet, so to speak, with the pandemic, but take time to take those deep breaths. They can offer healing from the inside out, and there is just something about those deep breaths that offer a moment of peace, too.

Start by taking in a deep breath, slowly through the nose. Let the breath stay in your lungs a couple seconds, and then slowly breath out through the mouth. Let us remember to take those Spirit breaths.

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