Gracious Words on Tough Days

"Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24

***

It is late when the phone rings and his name pops up on my phone.

“Hi honey,” I answer.  “Are you just leaving?”

“Yes.  It’s late.  I’m sorry,” he says. “It has been a long day.  I’m tired, hungry, and feeling a bit angry.”

“Will you go straight to meet your friend,” I ask.

“Yes.  It’s too late to come home for dinner now.”

“I thought so; but please make sure to stop for something on your way.  You’ll be too hungry if you wait to eat until you get home.”

This is not how I thought the evening would go.  I can tell he is agitated and I wish I could reach across the miles between us and give him a hug.

“You’re upset, aren’t you?” he wonders into the phone. “I’m sorry.”

“About dinner?  No.  I figured you wouldn’t be home as it got later and later.  Plus, dinner is not ready yet because I set the rice to simmer on the wrong setting.  I’m trying to fix it now,” I say half smiling and half groaning inwardly.   I add, “I did hope you might be able to pick up a few things for me; but they’ll keep until later.”

“You’re sure you’re not mad?” he asks again.

“Yes.  I’m sure.  What I am concerned about is that you’re headed out angry and hungry and tired.  That is not a very good mindset for a conversation with a friend.  So what I am doing is praying for you.  I’m praying that you would receive God’s peace right now.  I’m praying that you would leave behind the frustration and anger and weight of the day, that they would just fall away.  I am praying that you would know that I am not upset, but I am thankful for you and glad you are making time for your friend.  I am praying that you will be fully present with him—to listen well and respond with the grace and peace of Christ.”

“Thank you,” he lets out with a sigh.

“You’re welcome.  So.  If anyone cuts you off on your way they probably have had a rough day like you.  Be gracious.”  I encourage.  Then, knowing him I ask, “Do you need to go now so you can unwind a little on your way?”

“Yes.  That would be great,” he says honestly.

“Okay.  Well, I’ll see you when you get home.  I love you.  Bye.” 

After I hang up the phone and fix a plate for dinner I think about my husband. 

I think about tough days.  Mine has been full too and I am feeling tired. 

I think about how I love prayers and words of blessing any time.  Yet, on tough days words of blessing provide release from what has come before and the peace to walk forward with renewed energy and reclaimed purpose.

I think about how my husband has done this for me so many times.  I think about how thankful I am to be able to do the same for him. 

I think about this and give thanks for the way marriage makes the both of us better.

***

Grace and peace be ours in abundance as we extend just that to others.   May we know the joy of lifting up one another with encouragement in the strength of Christ.

Jessica :)

Breathe His Name

When the instructor asked what we would like to work on, I was quiet. 

The woman on the mat, next to me, responded asking, “Can we work on ujjayi breath?”   

The instructor agreed, “Ujjayi can be hard.  I still have trouble with it.  But yesterday, I really had a good practice using ujjayi.  It was a good day.  So sure.  Let’s practice a little.” 

“Really?” I thought to myself. 

I didn’t exactly think class was the place to work on this.  It was easily done at home.  I had practiced this kind of breathing many times before.  I kept trying to get my breathing to reflect the strong rumbling exhales of the first instructor I ever had.  Her breathing was surprisingly loud. 

I didn’t even know what ujjayi breath was, then. 

I always wondered if the sound was coming from the person on the mat next to me, and hoped they were okay because it sounded rather strange.  All the while it was Sarah at the front of the room. 

The first time I realized this I was so amazed that I described it to my husband, trying to replicate it all, without success.  I’m pretty sure he thought it was a little odd, even though he never said so. 

After a bit of practice, I found myself breathing in and out, not so loudly, but definitely with the hissing sound of the ujjayi way.

So as this instructor invited us to sit on our mats in a seated position, legs crossed, with our hands resting on our legs saying, “Take a deep breath in.  And breathe out.  Breathe in through your nose.  And as you breathe out constrict your throat, just slightly, so that you make a deep breathy sound as you let the air escape from your body,” I breathed along, while my mind wandered.

Ujjayi is this slow and rhythmic breath—in & out and in & out—that each movement is tied to.  Breathe in—arms up.  Breathe out—arms come to center.  Breathe in—arms out.  Breathe out—forward fold.  Breathe in—come to plank.  Breathe out—take a vinyasa.  In.  Out.  In.  Out.

It is this breath that helps deepen a pose and hold just a little bit longer.  I never would have thought that was possible in my gymnast days, but then we never talked about the way we breathed through "conditioning."  Yet, through yoga practice, I discovered it to be so.  Somehow it makes it easier, keeping the focus on this deep breath in and deep breath out.

Is it any wonder?

In breathing, we say the name of God. 

In Exodus, as he stands before the burning bush, Moses asks God what he shall tell the Israelites His name is:

“But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”

God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am.  Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.”  Exodus 3:13-15 NLT

With my VINE’S, I find the phrase “I AM” is the word hāyāh or “to live” in Hebrew.  And Ray Vanderlaan describes the transliteration of the Hebrew letters for the name of God in this passage—YHVH.   

And those same letters in Hebrew?  Yod—hey—vav—hey.  They are like the sounds that our breathing makes. 

There are a few different people like Jason Gray and Rob Bell who have talked about how every moment we live we breathe His name.  I know Bell can be controversial, but on this I think he is wise.  God’s name is our life source.

Yod—hey—vav—hey. 

I think the ujjayi breath accentuates the sounds just so. 

As we sit breathing deep, I consider this.

His name is what gets me through the difficult moments. 

It’s His name that brings rest as I move through the fluid movements.

So as I read on a yoga site about ujjayi that “without breath there is no life,” I think apart from speaking God’s name we cannot live. 

How beautiful.

How gracious of Him.

He has crafted us to speak His name each moment of our lives.

Ujjayi reminds me to celebrate this and to delight in saying His name.

In speaking His name, I honor God.

*** 

Grace and peace be ours in abundance as we speak His name, breathing deep in and out.  May we celebrate each breath of this life as an opportunity to honor Him.

Jessica :)

Speak Blessing

My husband and I were on our way back from the coffee shop around the corner.  (We ate out last night to grab a few extra minutes from the time I would be making dinner so we could sit, talk and enjoy each other before he headed out on a business trip.  These haven’t been too common in the last few months, which is a reason to give thanks.)  As we walked, I thought of how I would miss him.  I grasped his hand and leaned in close to his arm as we walked back to our place.

Instead of dwelling on what I would be missing, I began to think of what lay ahead of him this week.  This in mind, I began to speak blessing:  “I pray that God would go before you and with you.  I pray that he would encourage you.  I pray for opportunity as you go--to love your coworkers, to build relationships, to share the Good News, to encourage, to pray, to bless others, to spread the grace and peace of Christ.  May your actions be those that show love, your words those that speak peace, and may you see the many ways God has surrounded you with his grace.”  I gave him a smile.  He gave me a squeeze.

We entered our building and talked of the block party we were just invited to.  I said, “This scares me.  So I think we should go.”  He nodded and replied, “Sure.”  We pulled out our Bible and read a bit in Scripture—Joshua and 2 Corinthians—a habit we’re trying to grow in our time together…some days a little more successfully than others.  And then it was time for him to go.

He grabbed up his bag.  And as we walked towards the door, he spoke a variation of these words from Scripture—a blessing: “May the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).  I smiled.  He wrapped me up in his arms for a good hug and kiss before heading down the hall where we waved at opposite ends before he disappeared around the corner.

               

***

There are many days where we get this marriage thing wrong.  But this.  This, we got right.  We spoke blessing.  We should speak blessing to one another.  We should speak that which will encourage, lift up, and express love.  We should speak words that make souls stronger.  We should speak the things which will lead one another toward Christ and becoming more like him.  Don’t you agree?

“Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” Proverbs 16:24

Sometimes discipleship is all about the way we use our words.

Grace and peace be ours in abundance as we speak blessing over the family, friends, loved ones and strangers that cross our paths.  May it usher them into the presence of Christ.

Jessica :)