Take a Breath

Dear Sutton and Savannah, 

The first rule of stress management is “breathe.” Anxiety, fear, worry, and discouragement all make us hold our breath. So try to create space to just take a deep breath, and then another. And then one more. In those moments, let the muscles relax and your vision expand. Create space for the birth of a new thought.

-Dad

Inside Out Lectionary Letters

Year A - Visitation (Texts, Art, Hymns)

Readings for Sunday, May 31, 2026

Samuel 2:1-10 / Psalm 113 / Romans 12:9-16b / Luke 1:39-57

Summary of Psalm 113

Psalm 113 is a song of praise. The psalmist speaks of the greatness of God, the majesty of creation, and the care of the Divine for the poor, the needy, and the barren. Yet beneath the praise lies an important truth about the inner journey and the power of gratitude.

Scripture as a Mirror of the Soul

Gratitude is not denial. It does not pretend that suffering isn't real. It does not dismiss anxiety, grief, disappointment, or discouragement. Nor does it demand that we suppress difficult emotions in favor of positive thinking. Gratitude simply recognizes that our pain is not the whole story.

When we are hurting, our attention naturally narrows. The problem becomes all we can see. The wound becomes the lens through which we interpret everything else. The inner world contracts around fear, scarcity, or loss. Psalm 113 moves in the opposite direction.

The psalmist begins by lifting his eyes beyond immediate circumstances. He notices the grandeur of creation, the faithfulness of God, and the surprising ways grace appears in ordinary life. He acknowledges poverty, need, and barrenness, but refuses to let them be the final word.

Gratitude is the practice of expanding awareness. It creates enough inner space for multiple truths to exist at the same time. I can be discouraged and grateful. I can be grieving and hopeful. I can feel lost and still recognize moments of beauty, kindness, and grace. When the inner world feels depleted and the soul has forgotten how to breathe, gratitude gently opens a window. Fresh air enters. The horizon expands. And we begin to remember that the presence of the Divine has been with us all along.

The miracle of gratitude is not that it changes our circumstances. Rather, it changes our perspective and widens the field of vision. It reminds us that there is always a larger story unfolding than the one being told by our fears.