Yeah, it’s off to the race; everybody out the door.
Every once in a while I get a song stuck in my head. Jonny Diaz’s “Breathe” is the one currently playing. I love the words because they’re so true. I’m so busy!!
Third cup of joe just to get me through the day;
Want to make the most of time, but I feel it slip away.
I remember a Ziggy poster that my high school American lit teacher had on her wall: The faster I go, the behinder I get.
Sometimes it feels like I get up with a list of things to do as long as my arm. They’re all somewhat necessary. That is, I’m not just inventing more things to do just to keep myself busy. And, maybe I’m not moving a pile of sand with a pair of tweezers, one grain at a time, like Milo, or moving a well of water with an eyedropper like Tock (from the Phantom Tollbooth), but I feel the same effects. It’s almost as if my tasks are assigned by the Terrible Trivium.
I’m hanging on tight to another wild day,
when It starts to fall apart
Now Jonny Diaz does a great job of word painting. The music is busy and building. Then, suddenly, it stops. Completely.
He sings, In my heart I hear You say (full rhythm stop),
Breathe.
Just breathe.
Come and rest
at My feet.
And be.
Just be.
Chaos calls
but all you really need
is to just breathe.
Then, at the end of the second time through the chorus, with solid, sure chord progressions, he sings:
But all you really need
is to take it in,
fill your lungs;
it’s the peace of God that overcomes;
Just breathe.
Then here’s my favorite couplet of the whole song:
Let your weary spirit rest.
Lay down what’s good and find what’s best.
That’s it, isn’t it? There are many good things that we can do. But we have to lay down what’s good and find what’s best. We have to prioritize our lives because there is only so much time. We have an overarching mandate of doing tasks which are profitable for the kingdom. Some things we do are good, but do they really matter in the long run?
A couple of weeks ago when I felt like I was going “ninety miles an hour, going fast as I can,” I was feeling that stress start to rise. That’s when I found myself singing,
Breathe.
Just breathe.
Come and rest
at My feet.
It was the perfect song for that specific time in my life.
If you haven’t heard Jonny Diaz sing “Breathe,” you should look it up and listen to it. But, this suggestion comes with a caution: you might find it stuck in your head too.