Ken Roach shared with me a story he read this week about a lady named Merle Phillips who was 107 years old. She has written a book based on her extensive experiences. She offered her advice on how to live a very long and productive life. Do you know what her number one piece of advice was for living a long life? She said, “Keep breathing.” That was it. Just keep breathing in and out. Now she had a little more to say about living a long life like getting plenty of exercise and getting outside of yourself, and serving others, but I love that main piece of advice, just keep breathing. When life gets upside down and crazy, keep breathing. Don’t panic. The Bible says it this way, “Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.” Just keep breathing. Isaiah 30:15 says, “In quietness and rest shall be your hope.” When you get on overload, when life begins to cave in around you, when you find yourself stressed out, maxed out, and giving out, take a break. Get away. Go and find some rest. Go to a place where you can just sit and breathe. Don’t try to tackle everything by yourself. Trust God, wait for Him, and keep breathing.
– Dr. Tim Thompson