Sighs

I noticed it that time.  I was brushing my hair and out came this long sigh.  It was a combination of “I have so much to do today”, “I wish I could sleep for a couple of hours” and a little bit of “I feel fairly content.”  

They’re usually a mixture, aren’t they?  And for every one of them that I hear, probably eight or ten slip by unnoticed.

So many kinds.  There are the joints aching, muscle-deep tired sighs.  I have to laugh.  I’m writing this and my coonhound just exhaled one long, deep sigh.  I’m pretty sure hers was an “I’m glad you’re back from Virginia” and “I’m planning to sleep for the next six hours” combo.

There are the deeply unhappy, not-even-enough-energy-to-cry sighs.  Some sighs are purely frustrated ones.  Often we hear those because we’re doing them out loud so someone else will hear.  The “you didn’t do that job as well as I was hoping you would” or the “do I have to tell you to clean your room again?” sighs.  

But then there are the good ones – those that would equate to cats’ purrs.  The first fire in the fireplace this fall sigh.  The “I love Mexican food” sigh.  And the “how is it possible to be this happy?” sighs.

And wouldn’t it be great if they were all like that?

For those of us who believe in Jesus’ name, who trust that He died for our sin and rose again, who live like we believe that, there will be a forever of very few sighs.  But you can trust that the few that escape our lips will be a beautiful combination of pure bliss, contentment, joy and “I could never have imagined anything this wonderful.”  (sigh)

2 Corinthians 5:4; Psalms 38:8,9: Isaiah 51:11
For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life…I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you…And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.