the other day i was listening to my friend andy update me on what’s been going on in his life over the past six months. and as he spoke, i realized there was something very different about this conversation that many of the conversations i have every day.

and the reason is simple—there was just something very live-giving about hanging out with him.

some people just have that ability to make you feel different, better after being around them.

now the reality is that not every one can do this all the time. sometimes we’re the ones breathing life into others, and sometimes we’re the ones who need others to breathe life into us.

but there’s something very holy about those moments. i think it’s how we reflect God’s image. in the book of Genesis, it says: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27 NIV). that means that there are some things innate in us, things that are part of our DNA that reflect the image of God. now granted, that image can get distorted through sin. but it’s also explains why people who don’t know God personally can be kind or compassionate.

it’s also why i believe others can breathe life into us. it’s part of who God is. He spoke, and a world was created. light. dark. earth. sea. animals. man. woman.

He spoke and life came into existence. with every breath, every word—life.

when Jesus came, those words become flesh and lived among us (John 1:14).

words breathe life.

my friend andy didn’t really say anything significant to me that day. there was no life-changing insight. no world changing statements. but he told his story. and i’ve known him long enough to know that God is doing something new in his life, something different, something andy has patiently waited on. and in the process, i saw God breathing life not only to my friend, but also to me. restoring hope.

this past weekend, i spent time with some long-time friends and we breathed life into one another in a different way. we laughed. we acted silly. we had fun. and we all walked away with new lines around our faces because we smiled so much.

i love being around people like that. i want more of it.

there’s so much about everyday life that draws the oxygen out of us. there are even people who do that, people who ask more from us that we were ever meant to give.

but it’s the other people, the ones who breathe the image of God that i want a part of my life as well. the ones who can restore me and remind me who and whose i really am. and I want to be that kind of person as well.

so who breathes life into you?

contents on this site are © 2011 tim walker. all rights reserved. for permission to reprint or publish this content elsewhere, please contact me through this blog.