A Breathing Practice of Delight

In Proverbs 8, God is characterized as Wisdom of Delight. We have reflected in Sunday’s sermon and yesterday’s devo that God, Wisdom-Sophia, deeply delights in us, and we delight in the goodness and wonders of this divine love and peace. How beautiful is this mutual delight!

For today’s devo, I want to offer a “practice of delight” that might help us deepen our connection to the delight of God and the ways God delights in us.

Start by breathing in deeply (physically) and meditating (mentally) on the word: Delight. 

What does “delight” mean for you? What comes up when we breathe in the word “delight”? 

For me—as I take a deep inhale, letting the air fill up my lungs and feeling my stomach expand with air, and as I hold the word delight in my body and mind—I feel grounded. In this big inhale, I find myself attuning to peace. Peace that even if all is not well, all shall be well. I feel the steadiness of the Divine Creator’s goodness. I feel that although I could spend hours picking apart my limitations, there is Divine Creator’s wonderful goodness in me too. Delight gently washes away all the elements that destabilize me. Delight invites me into settling into God’s goodness and the good in me, others, and creation. 

I’m reminded of the wise words of Howard Thurman:

“Whatever may be the tensions and the stresses of a particular day, there is always lurking close at hand the trailing beauty of forgotten joy or unremembered peace.”

Pause. Take a moment and come back to first breathing practice again. Breathe in deeply. Fill up your lungs with air and feel your stomach expand. As you breathe in, hold the word delight in your mind. 

Pause. Exhale. Come back to the questions: What does “delight” mean for you? What comes up when we breathe in the word “delight”? 

Pause. Take a deep inhale again. Breathe in delight. Where do you feel delight in your body? 

If you’re able to, grab some paper and pen and jot down some reflections. Or maybe grab an electronic device and type out some thoughts. Or maybe on a walk, bike, or car drive today meditate on what Delight means for you. 

As you move through the day, take moments to take deep breaths in and hold delight in your body and spirit. Ask Wisdom Sohpia to continue to ground and center you in Her delight.