Small Steps Big Breaths
So there I was in the Karoo of all places, doing a 16km trail run through some pretty serious mountains. And it started well enough. I ran at a nice pace for the first few kms – my heartrate stayed steady, my legs felt strong, I was in a good mood.
And then… came the uphills.
And these were no ordinary hills. These were mountains! I had to stop running and walk, and climb at times. After a little way up this climb, my heartrate wasn’t steady anymore. My heart was pounding through my chest, and I was gasping for air, sucking in oxygen like a vacuum cleaner.
Small Steps, Persevere
Then I remembered something Shereen and I say when we hike together and face big hills. As we step slowly up the incline we say “small steps, big breaths, small steps, big breaths”. This always helped us – the small steps helped us not push too hard, and the big breaths help us to keep taking in as much oxygen as possible.
So I started to say it as I walked up this Karoo hill. Small steps, big breaths, small steps, big breaths. It helped a lot!
I wonder if you are walking up a mountain of your own today. Maybe as you’ve been journeying with God of late, the earth has tilted, and you find yourself facing a massive steep incline, and it’s just draining you.
Maybe this could also help you. Maybe, in the challenging mountains we face in our spiritual lives, we need to remember: small steps, big breaths.
Small steps will help us remember: be patient. Don’t get frustrated. Just keep going, one baby step at a time. God is with us, we’ll get through, if we keep going.
Steps, Breaths, Victory
And big breaths will help us remember: God is our oxygen. Breathe Him in! There’s that song we sing that says “this is the air I breathe, Your holy presence living in me”. Take big old gulps of His grace, His mercy, His presence. You need more than just a little. You need to breathe Him in deeply.
Once the climb was done and I got to the top, oh boy – what a view! What an awesome view of God’s beautiful creation. I got there with small steps and big breaths.
Walk on today, my friend. Walk up your hill with small steps and big breaths, and when you get to the top, you’ll be glad you kept going.
