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“When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him.” Genesis 17:3 I like to look at my life this way: It is God breathing through me. I do not have my own breath. Every breath that I have that sustains my existence comes from God. God gave me my first breath and he gives me my every breath. If he were to stop breathing in me, I would no longer live. The purpose of this whole image of God breathing through me is to point to the fact that God is the source, sustainer, and perfector of my life.
Name something that you have not received. I know that I had no power whatsoever to put myself into existence. Therefore, the fact that I am alive and all the good I have is a gift from something outside me. This gift of living is from God who breathes every breath for everyone. Looking a few, short years ahead, I have no say about keeping myself alive after I die. We all know we are going to kick the bucket! It is only through the absolute mercy and goodness of the One who breathes through us that life after death will go on.
The only reason I am is because God is breathing through me. I totally depend on God for every breath and for him to keep breathing through me for eternity. The only way I have life and will continue to enjoy life is through his provision. That humbles me because I know I am nothing without God. But it is also very exciting because I know I can count on the All-Powerful and Ever-Living God to breath life through me, forever. (You know what is amazing? I just looked at my clock as I was writing this and it was 7-11 am. I teach that God is always open for business just like the 7-Eleven convenience stores that are open all the time, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Yes, seeing 7-Eleven on my clock a sign from God that he is always breathing life for us and will always breath it if we accept his gift of salvation!)
Abram teaches us about humbly receiving the One who breathes our every breath. Abram, whose name would soon be changed by God to Abraham becoming our father in faith, prostrates himself before God. As our father in faith, he teaches us our proper position before the Almighty and Ever-Living. It is in this position of lying down before God that God teaches Abraham about his covenant to live and love and breathe through us forever.
The Church of the Nativity of Christ reminds us to prostate ourselves before the Lord. To enter the spot where Jesus was born, the door is low and the space small. You physically have to bend before the one who is the source, sustainer and perfector our breathing. May we pray that we will bend our souls as well as our bodies before the breath of our Almighty and Ever-Living God.
Let us pray: “God, I have no breath without you. It is you breathing through me. You gave me my first breath and you give me every breath. It is only through you that I will keep breathing your life forever. Breath through me, I humbly pray. Thank you for breathing through me. It is only because of you that I breathe. Amen.”
God’s will!
+Fr. John
Patti
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