Breath of Life

“…the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 1:7

I believe that one of the most powerful experiences to witness is someone doing CPR on a lifeless person, only to see movement again in that person. To think that God was the original one to create that process reminds me that He is the Creator of everything. It was a fresh idea this morning when reading this verse that there were actually two acts of our birth. The first act was God actively forming us with His own hands. The second act was God breathing life into our nostrils. My mind paints a picture of our lifeless bodies lying on the ground and God kneeling over us. Did He speak blessings over our lives before we even lived one day? Did He sing over us in joyful knowledge of His purpose for our lives? How much time did He simply stare at us marveling in the beauty of who He knew we would be? And then, at the perfect time He tenderly leaned over, sharing the breath of His life into our bodies.

I only have to look at my own children to fractionally relate to this amazement. I only have to remember the first time my eyes met theirs as they were laid upon my chest. I have such an overwhelming recollection about cradling them in the dark, rocking them safely and tenderly, and praying over them in the solitude of the night. God formed them with His very hands, breathed life into their hearts, and my heart has never really belonged to me since.

God, first and foremost, is Creator and Father to each of His children, bundled in love and care. His hands are still upon us molding…creating…forming…pumping life into our dead circumstances and hearts. He knows the contents of our day before we even place our feet on the floor. I am so grateful that the hands who created me are still the same hands who are carrying me. The most precious gift we can give to our children is giving them back to God.