I’ve noticed that during my son’s soccer games when there is a stop and resetting of any kind his coach often yells to everyone to put their hands in the air and catch their breath. This single act lifts their shoulders, their heads and their eyes.
I’m no doctor. Gosh, I don’t even play one on tv. I don’t know if this actually helps the diaphragm or not, but it sounds good. And it might help. If nothing else it helps the posture and maybe stretches them a little. Either way, I love watching my son play but he’s 7, and let’s face it, this is not the most exciting age to watch sports. Sometimes my mind drifts elsewhere while I watch them play.
So, I was thinking about how valuable it is for all us to look up, pick our chins up and lift up our arms. Especially when we’re tired. For starters, it might help us breathe better. If it doesn’t scientifically help us, it still might make us think it’s helping and that’s half the battle.
We see more when we look up. Duh. I wouldn’t know whether to stop or go without looking up to see traffic lights. You ever see people looking down at their phone and run into things or trip? I have. We can only see what’s right in front of us when we look down. When we look up we have an idea of what else is coming.
All you selfie-taking experts know very well that the secret to a good one is looking up. Bottom line, our faces look better when we look up. It is our best angle.
Psalm 121 is one of my very favorite chapters in the Bible. It begins like this, “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Isaiah chapter 40, which is about comfort for God’s people, tells us both to lift our voice and our eyes. When I need help, looking up is the solution. When I’m tired, looking up is the answer. If I physically want to feel better, the good posture of standing up straight and looking up can provide multiple benefits. Body language-wise, looking up is associated with thinking. So many good and hopeful things are a result of looking up.
We look better, feel better, breathe better, think better, sing better, see better and hope better when we just look up. The truth is many of my life’s issues require a whole lot more than the simple act of looking up and so do yours. However, when we start by first looking up we’re in a better position to handle whatever comes.
Do me a favor. Stop a minute. Sit or stand up straight. Lift your chin. Look up. Look to the Heavens. Take a deep breath, and know that God is in control.
