“Remember that you are dust. And dust you shall return.” Ash Wednesday – the first day of Lent. On this day, Christians are marked with ashes to remind us of our mortality, that we are alive but will one day die. Nothing reminds us more that we are alive than when we breathe. Breathe. Yes, sometimes we take this for granted and let our breathing go unnoticed. But take time to sit quietly (or stand or kneel, whatever works best for you!), close your eyes or gaze downward, and just breathe. Breathing, I believe, is the simplest prayer. One that expresses gratitude for life. One that constantly connects us to the Universe- with every inhale, we bring the Universe into our bodies, and with every exhale, we give a little of ourselves to the Universe. Breathing also connects us to God. God breathed into the dust, creating the first human, and so breathing has always been what connected us to God since the beginning of time. And with our last breath, we will return to dust and we will return to God. But for now- breathe. Inhale, exhale, connect, give thanks.
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