wind

 Sunday, May 29, 2022 (7:12 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Let’s talk about wind this morning. Mm, yes! Wind.

Seventy-four years ago a young couple was advised to watch it as they drove through White Water. On their way to being married.

Father, thank You. Thank You for their examples. Both positive and negative. The good. The bad. And all the in between.

Lord God, You were rarely mentioned in our home growing up. We experienced examples of Your goodness. And Your grace. Often attributed to our elders. Thank You for not leaving us in our ignorance.

Thank You for calling us to You. For never leaving nor forsaking us. Especially before we ever knew You.

Mm, Lord. Thinking I was coming here to learn more about Your wind, often presented as Your Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2) I find myself reading instead the concluding words of Hebrews (Chapter 13).

How grateful I am to have Your Word to lead and guide us. “Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters… Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another…. So we can say with confidence, ‘The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear…’” (Hebrews 13:1, 4a, 6a).

Following Your promises back to Deuteronomy 31, again I thank You. “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them [the people who lived in the land across the Jordan River]. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you” (v. 6).

Thank You Father that because we have Your teachings “we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth” (Ephesians 4:14).

No! “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (vs. 15-16).

Blessed God, You are Who is teaching us to ‘not use foul or abusive language. Let everything we say be good and helpful, so that our words will be an encouragement to those who hear them’ (29).

One parent’s parting words to his soon to be son-in-law continue echoing through these many decades. Thank You that even in their brief exchange, I can choose to recognize YOUR presence.

Reading of Your Holy Spirit, I am grateful for our time together. The Wind of Heaven. Unpredictable. Invisible, yet powerful. Refreshing. Stirring the atmosphere. Life bringing Breath of God.

It truly is Your grace through these many years that has allowed us to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be[ing] kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven [us]” (31-32).

All these verses later, I come to John 20:22 in The Voice. The Holy Spirit depicted here as breath, not wind. “Now He [Jesus] drew close enough to each of them [his disciples] that they could feel His breath. He breathed on them: Jesus: Welcome the Holy Spirit of the living God.”

It is absolutely Your Holy Spirit, Your breath, on which I want to depend this day. Remembering the love between two very young people who went the distance with one another. Teaching me both what true love is, as well as what it is not. Much like Your Word explains it to be in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

“Love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting” (Contemporary English Version).

I want to learn to live and love like that Dearest Lord. Do all You must in, with, by, through and for me to Your good and glorious end. I love You. I need You. I want You. I thank and praise You. Amen.

(702 words ~ 11:06 a.m.)