Today while taking the Little Mr. to preschool, he and I passed a yawn back and forth about 20 times. (Isn’t it so strange that yawns are contagious?) We cracked up laughing every time we felt one coming on. As hard as we tried, neither of us could hold back the yawns or the tears from welling up in our eyes as we did.
In high school, I would often start my private gymnastics lesson with a few big yawns. I’m laughing when I think about it because my mom would get so frustrated with me about it. She suggested I try eating a banana or something in the car on the way so that I wouldn’t be so tired during my practice. I decided on some banana runts. They are the grossest in the runt candy family, so I was sure they had some of the same nutritional power as the real life banana. They seemed to do the trick. (Wink.)
And just so you don’t feel like you’ve wasted the last 30 seconds of your life by reading about my yawns, here are a few yawn facts I learned from google (because google knows everything):
- Contagious yawning gets at the ancient, deep, and subconscious roots of empathy and social bonding.
- Yawns become contagious around age four.
- Researchers recently found that yawning isn’t only catching among people; it is also among chimpanzees and some dogs.
- They’ve done tons of brain studies and research and still don’t really know how or why yawns are contagious.
You’re welcome.
I’m not sure if my silent season is over yet or not (by now you’re probably wishing me back to quieter times), but I wanted to share with you two songs that helped me along some of my quiet spaces.
Sometimes God asks us to step away from where we are before we know why we need to leave or where we’re even going when we do. He just tells us it’s time to go. So, we step away from a job that is stable and a church that we’ve known for years as home. God says, “Leave.” We say, “Where?” He says, “Just go … and I will show you.”
In this season of stepping out, God has used this song for my husband and I both like a balm to soothe our souls.
The whole song is amazing, but verse two ignites me every time:
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now
Oh that I would let Him lead me with His sovereign hand to that place where grace abounds! Fear will no longer be the boss of me. God made me, so He gets to say who I am. He gets to call the shots. He’s never failed me and He won’t start now. I like that.
On Monday, another song surfaced in my mind. In light of all that has gone on this week, I’m receiving this as my prayer:
Oh boy! I need Jesus to be my center. I need Him to be the focus of my attention and the One from which all else flows. I need Him to be the One who grounds me, guides me and gives me life.
Jesus, be my center.
Maybe God will use one of these songs to speak to you too. I don’t know what kind of season you’re in, but I want you to know I’m praying for you. Really, I am.
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