A Mighty Wind

If I didn’t know better, I’d say it’s a calm, clear day. From the safety of a mountain home, I look out at the peaks and valleys and am fooled by the bright sun and clear mountain air. The flags on the deck, though,  are dancing wildly in the wind. Because of them, I know wind is swirling all around me. Like dust that reveals a ray of light, it takes something like a flag to help me “see” the wind. 

Too often, the same is true for my spiritual life. I look out from the safety of wherever I happen to be and think I see things as they are. I’m deceived by appearances. Too often, I’m fooled into thinking things are as they appear, but, then, I’m given the gift of something that awakens me to the mighty wind swirling around me.

The Hebrew people had a name for the mighty wind. They called it, “Ruach,” and believed God was with them in such a wind. Christians also believe God is present in the wind. They call it the Holy Spirit. Like my experience in the mountains, I don’t see the wind until something is placed before me. Suddenly, the wind causes whatever it is to dance. It may be an event that speaks to my heart, a note or call from a friend at just the right time, or a comment made as if speaking directly to me. 

The mighty wind makes itself known through the most unlikely “flags.”  Because of them, and through them, we’re able to see the wind that surrounds us and know that we’re not alone. In this unusual time, looks can be deceiving. Looking out from our homes, we may think we see things as they are, but there’s a wind. There’s always a wind. It just takes a flag to make us see it.