Embodied: K.J. Ramsey's Newsletter
Embodied.
Breathe to Behold: goodness is nearer than you think.
On the state line of Montana and Wyoming, just one mile into Yellowstone National Park the Boiling River converges with the frigid Gardner River, creating an eddy of warmth made only more magical in Winter by the contrast of snow-lined banks with steam-filled air. Soaking in the Boiling River is my favorite thing to do in Montana, and last Sunday we introduced our nephews to the thermal wonder.
Beauty and goodness most enhance our lives when given attention and held in the space between us. And there is always goodness to attend to, for goodness does not only live in wild places where bison roam and heat flows skyward from the crust of the earth.
Earlier this week we left the cold magic of Montana to head home to North Carolina (where we moved Dec. 1st), and though I’m still finding my new rhythms of beauty and goodness in NC, goodness is there to behold wherever I can pay attention, whenever I can breathe with mind and heart awake at once, at whatever moments I offer myself to be present to a reality at work deeper in my soul than any pain or longing.
Goodness is nearer than you think.
Hard Things captivate our mind’s attention so we can survive. But when Hard Things Stay, we have to learn how to see them as part of our frame of view instead of the central focus. Where we look determines where we head.
Every year I keep learning I am never alone. I learn it in the shadows of stress when another medical bill comes in the mail that I fear paying. Fear makes a quick coil around my soul, ready to pull me into its dark swirl. In years past I might let those bills pile, pushing them out of my awareness because fear feels too threatening. The weight of years of not having enough money can swiftly deflate any sense of hope I have for the future.
But there is One who is with me and in me as I thumb through the day’s daunting envelopes. I don’t have to hold the weight of my story of hardship and little money on my own. I breathe in and out, internally whispering “You do not have to be afraid” in acknowledgement that Jesus is my Pain-Bearer, my ever-present help in time of need. And from neuroscience I know that as I acknowledge my moments of fear with kindness and then respond in a new action, I grow in my ability to cope with stress effectively. I pause and shift and in changing my habits, God is changing the current of fear in my mind to a pathway of peace. Practicing new ways of responding to stressful moments quite literally changes the neural pathways in our brains, allowing us to access calm more quickly. Moments that have long contributed to a current of despair in my soul are becoming spaces where I can remember I am always connected to the God who loves me and, therefore, in my weakness I can access his strength.
When I remember to look to the goodness and mercy that Jesus is with me, the places of present pressure become spaces to swim in grace. He can hold the weight of my story of suffering. I can enter the joy of recognizing I am not alone and do not have to be left impotent by bills or stress.
I cultivate awareness of his presence in the lighter moments too. I learn I am not alone as I walk the paths of the nearby park and notice the vines creeping up the trees and the light scattered before me, visual reminders that God made good things and that I am not barred from beholding them.
Where I look determines where I head, and if goodness is here I want to see it and taste it and feel it and become it. “Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.” (Psalm 23:6, CSB) Goodness and faithful love pursue us. And we can experience God’s pursuit when we turn our attention to the fact that he has made himself near because of the embodied life of Jesus. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and because he became human my very human moments of worry and weight no longer have to bring the condemnation of coming catastrophe.
You and I are headed toward the place where Hard Things will turn to dust and Good Things will abound. But God has already forever united himself to us in Jesus. We can give the goodness of his presence our attention and share the goodness of this world, as well as the pain, with him. We can let the wild beauty of hot springs and the ordinary beauty of trees and overcoming fear transform us into people who know Goodness and Mercy pursue us all the days of our lives and we will dwell secure in the house of the Lord forever.
Breathe to Behold: a simple practice to dwell secure
The gap between cognitively knowing Jesus has come and experiencing the truth of his nearness is made smaller by physical experience. Breath Prayer, a simple ancient practice for acknowledging the abiding presence of Christ is one tool you can use to move from worry to well. Take a moment to practice these basic steps now, and then try to utilize breath prayer in moments of stress in your day:
Take a deep breath in and then out. Do it again more slowly—in and out.
Now you will silently pray “Lord, have mercy” as you breathe. With your breath in pray, “Lord” and your breath out “have mercy.”
Keep going. Inhale: “Lord,” Exhale, “have mercy.”
Repeat for as long as you need. I often will repeat it for 5 cycles or so when I’m in moments of stress.
Moments of stress activate a fight or flight response in our brains, and the lower regions of our brain and brain stem take over, making us reactive instead of responsive. As you slow your breathing, your nervous system becomes regulated, integrating the lower and higher regions of your brain, empowering you to be more able to access calm, reason, and hope. Praying, “Lord, have mercy” is a simple way to acknowledge God has drawn near to you, is with you now, and is the One who bears the weight of your present pressures and pain—not you.
To learn a little bit more about Breath Prayer, you can read this article I wrote on it last summer.
Writing Updates
Last month I was asked to become a regular contributor with Health Central where I will be writing about living well with chronic illness. My first articles will be coming out this month, beginning with a letter to my younger self as January marks 10 years since I first got sick with Ankylosing Spondylitis. You can find my author bio and links to pieces as they are published here, and I'll of course be sharing links to articles as they come out!
New Podcast Interview:
I had the joy of being interviewed on Adam Young's The Place We Find Ourselves podcast. This episode is a great taste of what my book will be! Listen here.
Thanks for being the kind of person who values depth and creating space in your life for joy. It's an honor to share words and space with you, even in the small form of an email.
In the fellowship of the God who chose to draw near to us,
KJ
kjramsey.com
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