The Wind

The Wind: beautiful yet devastating.

I’m finding myself in Iowa this Christmas season. And glad to be here too. As I sit back and relax, looking outside into the snowy wilderness, I notice a wonderful conundrum: the wind.

There’s a funny thing about snow and wind – it lets you actually see the wind, where it’s going and what it’s doing. Of course, you still can’t guess where it will come from or what direction it will go, but it’s somewhat visible. And extraordinarily beautiful.

But tell that to me while I’m trying to pave a way in all the snow for my parents to arrive safely in -22°F wind chill in the middle of the night. Wow! That was insane! It’s been said that weather that cold can freeze any exposed skin over a period of ten minutes! Yikes! And boy was it cold going out to sweep away the snow from the stairs my parents had to climb to get safely into the warmth of grandma’s house. Many times I would brush the snow away, only to find the wind blowing it back in my face. Ouch!

Sitting here gazing out at the drifting snow, I can’t help but think about the power of wind and how Jesus compared the Holy Spirit to wind in John 3.

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

John 3:8

It’s interesting to find that the same Greek word, (pneuma) signifies both the wind and the Spirit. Can’t we recognize God’s power in our lives? Can’t we relinquish the driver’s seat to the One who knows where He’s going?

He knows better than us. So we must step back and let Him work. Oh how I want to show you more in the Bible about the power of God and of the beauty and devastation of His guidance in our lives.

Beautiful because we finally are in the center of His will. Devastating because all the expectations we have formed in this society are laid to waste.

Do you have this beautiful devastation at work in your life?

Something to think about.