Let the brothers, in whatever places they may be among others, serve or work. ~Saint Francis
Physically exhaling breath stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s relaxation response. Often, when you hear someone sigh, it’s not necessarily a non~verbal commentary on anyone or anything. Instead, it’s the body’s way of regulating the nervous system and helping them to relax.
Once, during a season of great change for us both, my good friend Marna began to say, “What if it could be easy?” “It” was whatever question we were asking or challenge we faced at that moment. Marna’s question wasn’t wistful or wishful. Instead, it was a challenge to reorient our expectations. Instead of expecting resistance and negativity, what if we trusted in the abundance of God and flipped our approaches and perspectives? What if, instead of looking at our challenges as mountains too hard to climb, we waited for a clearer path to open before us, trusting that when the time came, we would have all we needed—within ourselves and among our communities—to follow? What if we stopped pushing and cajoling, trying to force and rush the Holy Spirit’s timing and showed up to each day faithfully, making dinner, leading worship, picking up kids from baseball, walking the dogs and praying morning prayer until the answers presented themselves? Somehow, the phrase “What if it could be easy?” became a sort of spiritual exhale, a way to practice that old Christian adage, “Let go and let God.” It became a way to open my heart and hands to another way I couldn’t see on my own.
Over the years, saying this phrase when I feel stymied or overwhelmed has served me well. It helps me work and serve wherever and with whomever I find myself, at whatever pace and with whatever tools are at hand.
For Reflection
Is there a challenge or issue in your life that feels like pushing a boulder uphill? Could you practice this spiritual exhale exercise for the remainder of Lent?
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