Part II - You Feel the Wind

In recent weeks here in Massachusetts we've had some incredible windstorms. Golf ball sized hail fell in the suburbs around Boston, trees snapped like twigs in microbursts, and power lines came down right across the Mass Pike. In the middle of the hot summery stretch of August, we were suddenly hearing storm reports of damages and power outages numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

I sat in my back yard watching the tall pines that line the property. Usually, the trees nudge my thoughts to the natural grace and survivor skills the Lord vested in nature. They somehow stand through decades of icy winters and long hot droughts in summer. Without complaining, they endure, whispering peace and serenity as they wave their aromatic scent in the breeze. 

I love these trees! Don't you? The freshly oxygenated air they supply enriches me. I meditate on God’s provisions of sun and rain to nourish the green earth. We always water the garden and make sure the flowers have access to sun. But wind? I never think about it. 

In the wake of the storms, it suddenly occurred to me that wind is another essential element. Of course the Father knew exactly what he was doing when he set these currents to work and ordered them to cover the earth.

The air is constantly in motion. Nor’easters, and westerlies, southern currents and cold fronts--everything in constant flux. It really is a weatherman’s delight of swirling patterns and movement. Nothing stands still. 

Have you ever wondered why? We don’t just have air to breathe. It is sent on a mission.

Temperatures rise and fall and huge masses of air sweep across the nations. They disperse rainclouds across the land, deliver seeds, and blow the chaff and dying leaves away. The air blows over the seas and cools the land. As I reflected on what the wind does for a tree, I realized there’s even more to the story, but you have to peer beneath the surface.

I’m always admiring trees but I never think about the roots. Their visual brilliance obliterates a massive underground foundation supporting the entire tree. This network of limbs spreads out farther than the weighty upper branches. But how do they penetrate the many obstacles of granite ledges and centuries-old layers of hard packed earth?

Wind! The force of air against leaves and branches rocks the tree and tugs at the roots, loosening the soil and making necessary room for the roots to stretch and grow.  Growing space is created by this God-given force, which in extreme cases of hurricanes or tornados, threatens to topple the entire tree.  But the very gales that threaten to destroy it, actually make it stronger.

In the spiritual realm, we have seasons, too. The testing and trials of my life are God-sent to build a wider foundation and deepen my spiritual roots. My obstacles and pressures are creating some growing space to exercise my spiritual muscles and apply God’s Word. Wiggle room for my faith! 

If your life feels like a constant swirl of conflicting patterns and obstacles, if it seems they threaten to undo or destroy you (we have a cunning foe), don’t give up! Go deeper. It’s okay to wiggle!

You will be okay. Persevere gracefully like the swaying trees. 

We can accept trials of many kinds because they lead to spiritual strength and maturity.

James 1:2-4