Just Breathe
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
In the quiet act of breathing, we find the strength to ground ourselves in the present moment.
The breath is the bridge that connects life to the consciousness.
— Thich Nhat Hanh
I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.
— Sylvia Plath
Genesis 2.7
One day the Eternal God scooped dirt out of the ground, sculpted it into the shape we call human, breathed the breath that gives life into the nostrils of the human, and the human became a living soul. (The Voice)
Food for Thought
"Just breathe." "Take a deep breath." "Slow down. Breathe in and out."
As a mother in the midst of raising elementary and preschool-aged children, these are phrases I repeat often. We’re in emotionally fragile years, and the smallest change in circumstances can lead to full-on breakdowns.
The line between joy and devastation is paper-thin. We've witnessed the tears when our toddler, gleefully skipping through a field to pick a wildflower for us, accidentally pulls it from the stem. Or when our 5-year-old’s determination shifts to frustration as she struggles to tie her shoes. Or the look of complete dismay from our 10-year-old when reminded to do anything—homework, clean his room, take a shower. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since our reminder—whether hours or days—this is always the most inconvenient time and will be met with full protest, some lying on the floor, and the world’s slowest, most begrudging walk in the direction of the task at hand.
To be honest, the reminder to "just breathe" is as much for me as it is for my children. And it’s not just a phrase meant to push us through the moment. Our breath is a powerful, life-sustaining tool that we often overlook in our busy lives.
Breathing, at its core, is an involuntary act that sustains life. But when we practice intentional, deep breathing, we can connect more authentically with ourselves and the emotions we are carrying. The simple act of conscious breathing has been shown to regulate the central nervous system and calm the stress response, allowing us—and our children—to find moments of peace amidst chaos. Continued practice of deliberate breathing can help lower blood pressure, improve our mood, and support better digestion.
Spiritually, the act of intentionally using our breath to fill and heal our bodies connects us back to our Creator. It reminds us of that first divine act of bringing forth life from breath when God shaped us from the dust of the earth and then breathed life into us, creating within us our living, divine soul.
It is divine breath that made us, that fills us, and that sustains us even now.
This week begins the season of Lent. Perhaps no other day of the year makes us more aware of our own fragility than Ash Wednesday. These aren’t just fragile years for the youngest among us, but these days and moments often feel fragile for us all. The line between joy and sorrow, hope and despair, and “fine” and “not fine” is so thin. At any moment, we are just one phone call, one health scare, one news report, or one unexpected bill away from realizing just how fragile life can be.
While deep breathing may not solve everything that feels out of control in our lives, it can help root us, ground us, and give us the strength to move forward. It is a small but powerful reminder that, even in our fragility, we are sustained by something greater.
Our breath reminds us that, though we are fragile dust that will one day return to the earth, we are also filled with divine breath—the very breath that has the power to bring life and goodness into the world. Through this breath, we can find peace, healing, and renewal. Even when everything else feels uncertain, we can trust that the breath of life is with us, sustaining us and giving us strength to continue.
On a piece of paper, write the words "Just Breathe" and place it somewhere that you will see it today. When you find yourself in moments that are stressful, overwhelming, or upsetting, take 1 minute to breathe slowly.
Help us to remind each other that it's the simple things that can ground or connect us! This week, we invite you to take a picture of a simple way that you are extending love or embracing peace. Post it and tag us @thewelcometableco and mark it with #simplethings. This will help us all remember how important it is to love and live simply.
For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!
Blessing
Breath of Heaven,
Be with us as we navigate this life. In the moments that seem too difficult to breathe through, guide us back toward a place of ease and peace, remembering that you are always there to hold us and sustain us.
Amen.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Are there times that you have to actively remind yourself to “Just breathe” – maybe when you’re stressed, angry, scared? What is that like for you?
How do you feel at the thought of pausing during your day to just breathe? Does the thought bring you peace, or does the idea of pausing, even for a moment, create more anxiety?
What do you think might change if you took a few seconds to pause and take a couple deep breaths throughout your day?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Has anyone ever said to you, “Just breathe”? What was happening during that time?
How did you feel after you stopped to take a couple deep breaths?
Take three deep breaths right now. How did that make you feel? Do you feel calmer, do you feel even more jittery or antsy? You might even feel a little lightheaded!
Meet This WEek’s Writer...
Lin Story-Bunce is a North Carolina native and lovingly calls Greensboro, NC home. She earned a Masters of Divinity from Wake Forest University and has served a wonderful and thoughtful congregation at College Park Baptist Church since 2009, pastoring to families and their faith development. Most of all, Lin loves the moments she gets to connect with her family, snowboarding with her wife, and keeping up with their four kiddos and two energetic pups. Lin is a teacher, preacher, dreamer, and procrastinator who has a knack for trying to do way too many things in far too little time.
To hear more from Lin throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!