The following comes from the FEAR NOT series and was written by Walt. It is a guided meditation

“Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.”

-Luke 5:5-6

Take a moment to be still. Settle into the chair on which you are sitting. Relax. Take a deep breath. Allow your lungs to fill with life-giving oxygen. Receive the gift as did the first human creature in Eden's garden.

Allow the pneuma - wind- air - the breath of God to enter your body and dwell within. Deep. Breathe in, hold it for a moment, then release. Exhale. Let out the breath from the depths of your body. Repeat.

Dwell, for a while, in the pattern of this most basic of life's rhythms. In and out. Life received; life returned. Back and forth, permit this exchange to move from your unconsciousness to the forefront of your intentions.

In each breath, God is present. Life enters your being as a gift that fills and empties your body. Every time you inhale, you are the recipient of a sacred blessing, a beloved child of your Creator. When you exhale, you release into the world a contribution that comes from deep within your spirit.

Now, imagine a handmade quilt. It is substantial and would easily cover a king-size bed. Each square is different and recalls the best moments of your life.

Wrap yourself in the warmth of your blanket of blessings— nestle into the quilt with the knowledge that you are beloved. Smile and let joy join in the pattern of your breathing. Watch the quit rise and fall as your body expands and deflates. Beloved, breathe.

Push all the worries and cares of the day aside. Let the blessings of your life cover you. Imagine that God has swaddled you. Like a baby, you can rest in the warmth and protection of your special quilt.

Take a look at the quilt's panels. What stories do they tell? What are the tales of the times when you knew you were loved?

Are they from childhood or from a time more recent? Do they remind you of others? Whose faces come to mind? Smile as you receive the gift of each interaction, each blessed memory.

Allow the memories to come and go on their own—delight in the unique aspects of each. Beloved, breathe. You have much for which to be thankful.

Wrapped in a life-time of moments of grace and love, how could you not rejoice?

Follow the invitation of your thanksgiving. It beckons you to seek the source of all goodness. Whose hands stitched such wonders? Look for Her - from whom all blessings flow.

Mother God - you are the source of my life! Spirit that enters with each breath - to you, I give glory! Risen Christ, you resurrect and restore. Wondrous God, your love embraces me and refuses to let go.

Wrapped in the blessings of your life, beloved, breathe!

A PRAYER FOR YOU:

Bringer of breath, enter the deepest part of my being. Fill me with your restoring and resurrecting grace. Displace my fear with your renewing presence. Guide me in the flowing movements of your love that I might find the courage to move and think beyond myself. Through Jesus, amen.