I started sneezing when we were driving home from an end-of-the-summer vacation. I sneezed maybe a dozen times? I said out loud, “Am I suddenly allergic to something?” From the back seat, eight-year-old William said, “Mom, I think you’re allergic to change.”
I think he was right. I think I internalized the “threat” of the school year and my body started rejecting it in the same way it would have rejected pollen in the springtime.
And so I began to pray. To breathe in peace and exhale all my worries.
It took a few hours, but the sneezing stopped. And for the next few days, every time I felt my sinuses tingle, I stopped to breathe and pray and learn how to trust love even in the midst of change.
(Plenty of people have seasonal allergies, of course. And I’m a big fan of Claritin when those allergies kick in. But I still notice the times that my nose starts dripping or tingling and—even when I know pollen is the most likely culprit—I pray that I would receive God’s peace and know that I am not in danger.)
Body Focus: Nose
What might this body part represent? Fear
Bible Verse:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Philippians 4:6-7
Prayer:
What prayer could I bring to my body?
Lord, keep me safe.
Lord, in the midst of change, you are unchanging in your love and care for me.
If you’re new to body prayer or want to read more body prayers in this series, go here.
Learn more with Amy Julia:
- Body Prayer series
- Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and My Feelings
- Fear, Fearing the Lord, and Walking in Love
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