Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.
Boy, do I love this time of year because it leaves me so breathless. The Sierra Mountains just north of where I live are covered in snow and you should see that flat Mojave Desert, all white, stretching far out beyond the front range of the Sierras. It’s glorious. And the cold mountain air when you pull in a deep breath… it can sting. It leaves you… breathless!
And I'll tell you something else – it is quiet! Not a stirring in the air, not a sound of a car, not even the trickling of a brook there near the Mojave. With all that huge, thunderous, majestic beauty – mountains muscling up right off the desert floor and grand thunderheads towering overhead – to walk outside, stand before that breathtaking landscape, and hear, no, feel the quiet… is so awesome.
Most of all, the mountains and the desert this time of year speak of God's beauty. It says in Habakkuk 2:20, “Let all the earth keep silence before him.” …even the mountains, even the desert, yes, even the thunderheads. The power in God's creation somehow seems so much more powerful when in all of its awesome grand-scale splendor, it is silent.
Like I said, it leaves you breathless. So, find some time today to get outside, even if you have to wrap up warm. You may not be near a desert or near the mountains, but take time to find a little bit of landscape… a place of quiet, of icicle silence. A park covered with snow. A bird feeder all frosty. A tree wearing diamonds in the sunlight. Breathe in the beauty of God's creation and keep silent before Him. Let all of the earth – you, too – keep silent before the majestic Lord of the universe. That will leave you breathless!
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 93176
© Joni and Friends