Just a Breath Away

In December of 2004 our first two children were turning ages 6 and 4.  They were the years of VeggieTales videos and Elmo.  Approaching Christmas that year we were seeing the wonder of Christmas once again through their eyes and wondering if there was a third Burchie kid in our future.  With all my heart set on wanting another child, there was a song stirring in my heart.  It all started with the phrase, “You will always be, a breath away from me.”  

That phrase kept turning over and over in my head, about how God sees us, and what He might say to us. It made me think about how God breathed life into Adam and brought Him into the world, into life.  I imagine that He does the same with each of us as we take our first breath of air as a newborn baby.   Then lyrics began tumbling into my heart from heaven – straight onto the page.   

This is the story behind that song, “Just a Breath Away.”   

I started with the analogy of being at heaven’s door – which can be said about one preparing to die, but in this case, I was thinking about it as being in the womb.  The first two words of this song “precious moments” are a veiled reference to many of the porcelain figurines we received at our wedding and when we had children.  

This song is written from God’s perspective, and He tells us that He’s dreaming of more than just a few beautiful moments with a baby – He’s dreaming of a lifetime of adventures and plans for us.  And while we are in the womb, He is waiting patiently to unveil his latest creation – one who is created in His own image.  I’m thinking about Genesis 1:26, where God tells us that humans are His image bearers in this world.  We bear his likeness and represent Him as the Creator.  

Verse 1

Precious moments here at heaven’s door 

But I am dreaming of so much more 

Waiting for the world to see 

Another perfect picture of me 

As God sings the chorus over us, he starts with the phrase, “I made you perfect in every way.”  The truth is that God doesn’t make junk, and Psalm 139 tells us we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  The fact that we all sin, and each of us are affected by sin, doesn’t change the fact that God created us perfectly.   

We were created to walk with God in relationship, in such a close way that He will always be, a breath away from us.  The truth that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us is so important, knowing that we don’t walk in fear, but walk in faith.  When we cry out to God He will always hear our prayers.   

Chorus  

I made you perfect in every way 

(You were) created to walk with me each and every day 

You will always be a breath away from me 

I will always stay – a simple prayer away     

Verse 2 starts with a double meaning in the first line, “Looking through, a window at you.”  The window can be through an ultrasound machine looking into the womb to see an unborn baby, or through the nursery window.  When I was a kid, we would peek through the nursery window at Enloe Hospital at newborn babies from the outside the building. I even remember a ramp they had for kids so if you’re short, you could get a better look at your newborn siblings.   

God started creating in Genesis 1 and hasn’t stopped creating since then.  He does not change.  He will always be involved in creation.    

Verse 2

Looking through, a window at you  

The people try to see  

What I’ve been creating, for all eternity  

Another perfect picture of me 

The bridge of this song is sung straight to you.  God reminds us that every part of us was created by Him – even the parts we wish we could change.  As a loving Father, there is an ownership where he calls us his own, we even see this in Isaiah 43 where he says, “You are mine.”  

 The phrase, “every season, I’ll give you a reason to make it through another day,”  is what I believe God does with those of us who are depressed, the desperate and lonely.  For those considering ending their life – God is faithful. He gives us reasons to make it through another day.  It is a beautiful blessing that some I have heard about have chosen not to end their life after listening to these songs.   

In this bridge, God reminds us that he is the potter, and we are the clay –  He is molding us, shaping us and will sculpt in us something beautiful if we allow Him.  As our creator, He is telling us that we need to believe what He says about our identity.    

Bridge  

Every part of your heart was my design  

Every day of your life, you will be mine   

Every season, I’ll give you a reason  

To make it through another day 

I am the potter, you are the clay  

(you got to) believe me when I say  

The final tag of this song starts with, “Like Father, like son.”  This phrase carries a triple meaning. First, God is our heavenly Father and we bear his likeness and resemble Him as sons and daughters on the earth.  Secondly, it also refers to the resemblance I see in my own son, Michael. Third, and most importantly, this refers to our Father in heaven who sings about sending his son, Jesus, who will reflect Him, the father.  Jesus will say in the gospels, “if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the father.”   So when the Father looks at the Son, he sees His grace in action.       

 Tag 

 Like Father, like son, you are the one 

I am sending to be, a reflection of me 

When I look at your face, I see my grace 

When I look in your eyes, I realize, that you look just like me  

As soon as I wrote this song, I realized that it could serve the pro-life movement really well.  We believe that we are image bearers, and life is precious, and so with the help of a few friends we made a music video to this song.  I have a very quick cameo appearance with my son toward the end, otherwise, it tells the story of a young woman who is trying to decide what to do after discovering that she’s pregnant.  This is an earlier recording that a group of musicians from Neighborhood Church helped me with in early 2005.  It features a great electric guitar solo by Doug Holroyd, and the laugh and voice of my then 6-year-old Katherine.  We recorded the tracks in the TV studio downtown, which is now a restaurant, and the video was produced by our friend Steve Chollet.  This video was played at the Women’s Resource Clinic banquet in the fall of 2005.   

To watch the YouTube video, click here.

The version we recorded for the 2009 project, “Proof in the Mirror” is a simpler version that only has Linda and I singing, a piano and a string bass.  While the music video has a more produced musical arrangement, this later version seems to cut straight to the heart, it’s more pure, and after 18 years, this song still holds up as a very powerful statement that puts a lump in my throat.   

I think we need to be reminded that God is crazy about us and as our creator, He’s proud of us.   

Just remember, no matter what you’re facing today, He is “just a breath away.”   

We invite you to come worship with us at Neighborhood Church in Chico.

Our Sunday Morning Worship Service at 10:00 a.m. is in the Dome.

You can live stream our service on Facebook and YouTube at 10:00 a.m.

Need encouragement?  Text the word Encourage to 530.296.3689 to receive an encouraging scripture or quote from me several times a week that is sent right to your phone.