Year 4-Day 103: Today, I am grateful for for the wind.
Growing up on the rural flat lands just an hour or less out of Chicago (yes, the best of both worlds) ...we know wind!
Our Walker, now at Olivet, is getting a taste of that wind. I keep telling him our mild winter was a gift he will not truly understand until the next bitter one comes. The wind blows wherever it pleases and just outside of "The Windy City" it blows often.
On the prairie, tall prairie grasses protect the soil from the winds and conservation specialists have come to understand their value. Yes...science once again...applauds and approves God's design.
I remember sleeping in the northwest corner, upstairs room with my sister, April. We would listen to the howl of the winds as we tried to sleep. We had a choice. We could learn to love the melody and the lullaby as the wind shook the house or tremble in fear. April and I were not shrinking violets...but we were happy to have each other. Some of my sweetest childhood memories were born in that room...listening to the wind...and chatting with my sister. We could not stop the wind, so we stuck together and embraced it.
The wind is such a mystery. I know scientists predict how it will move, and sometimes it does. But, other times...it changes direction and takes a new path. Is it any wonder that Elijah looked for God in the wind?
Still...our God and His Holy Spirit move as he pleases.
The wind[a] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” -John 3:8
Note: (a)-in Greek the it is the same word for "wind" and "spirit"
"Born of the Spirit"... what a beautiful description of a life made new... as the Holy Spirit fills the once dark crevices of our heart with love and light. Sometimes...it looks crazy to those who have not experienced and invited His light into their lives.
Last year...my "One Little Word" was "courage"...and this year it is "vision". His spirit gives us the courage to see with His eyes, reach out with His hands and love with His love. Oh, how I fail at times... but sometimes... I get it right. On those occasions I ask myself why I fight Him. He never, ever leads me out of His reach and His strong hand. There is no... such... place.
His disciples followed Jesus onto a boat. Many were fisherman by trade and knew the seas and hte weather. When a sudden storm blew in, they were fearful and woke Jesus. He calmed the seas and the storm. They were amazed.
And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” -Matthew 8:26-27
His power is infinite. The wind reminds me of the unseen presence and power of God. It whispers a challenge to invite His Spirit in to guide...to direct...and to power our lives. We can be fearless as we face the landscape ahead. He's got this!
Today, I am grateful for for the wind...and the lessons in the wind!
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