spring winds

Joni Eareckson Tada's perspective on wind: (Thanks, Lisa!) :)

"I love this time of year. There's nothing like it. No doubt about it, a new season is here. And it smells so wonderful . . . I especially love the freshness, the winds in spring time. The smell of the wind bearing the fragrance of early new blossoms or freshly laundered clothes on the line. The feel of the wind blustering and straining against the string of a kite. The sound of wind whispering through the pines, or a strong wind snapping damp sheets on a clothesline.

Jesus must have loved the wind. He often used it in lessons. Like that time in the garden. I can picture him feel a cold breeze touch his face and then, hearing the murmur of leaves, gesturing toward a nearby tree and commenting as he did in John 3:8, "The wind blows . . . you hear its sound . . . you cannot tell where it comes from . . . So it is with the Spirit."

Little wonder Jesus likened the wind to the Spirit. Wind moves. So does the Spirit. It - or I should say - He never stays still. He is always moving and making His presence known. And if this Holy One lives at the center of our lives, we will see, feel, and at times, almost smell and hear the effects. The Spirit is constantly doing something in us. Just as we can see the effects of the wind in the trees (although we cannot see it), others will observe and appreciate the effects of the Spirit in our lives.

It's absurd to suppose you can have the Spirit of Christ within you and not see, feel, and experience His presence. The Holy Spirit will produce holy living. Paul says in Galatians 5:22 that, "the fruit [or evidence] of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

Step outside on a breezy spring morning and notice that the wind marks its movement by what it touches. In its wake it leaves freshness and cleansing. Sense God's stirrings in your life today. Feel His movement in your heart . . . you may have to be still to really know that He's there. Let Him sweep away anything that displeases the Father. As you allow the Spirit to touch your life, others will mark His presence and breathe deeply of His fragrance. They will give thanks to God . . . and thanks to you."

breath of wind

It's that kind of wind today that makes your hair slap your face. You can almost lean into it and not fall. When I hear the roar of wind at night especially, a sense of unsettled nervousness shivers through me. The trees swirl wildly above my head, and I want to escape into a silent room without windows.

In a desperate attempt to gain a better perspective on this God-made power, I searched for what Joni Eareckson Tada once said on the radio about wind. I couldn't find it. (Can you help me?) Instead I read John Piper's sermon The Free Will of the Wind.

"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:8 (See Piper's sermon for context on the verse.)

Jesus compared the work of God's Holy Spirit to wind...how it moves, creating results. Wind is invisible, yet so powerful. You see the window picture at the top of this page? Wind broke that window. But that's beside the point. Actually, this sermon shared four points.

1. ...wind blows where it wishes... When we are born again, believing in Jesus, His Spirit lives in us. And His Spirit indwelling in us is free, just like wind. "The wind blows where it wills and gives life and faith."
2. ...you hear the sound of it... Wind has effects. The Spirit moves, and we will see His work.
3. ...we don't know where it comes from... We just know it doesn't come from us. God causes new birth, and we don't know how (Mark 4:26-27).
4. ...we don't know where it goes... We don't know its destination, either.

Piper said, "Today there are two basic responses to what Jesus says in John 3:8. One is threatened by it. And the other is thrilled by it. To some it feels threatening because it takes the new birth out of our control and makes us feel helpless. But to others this is thrilling, because they have already discovered they are helpless."

As I go hoe the garden now, I hope I can take a big breath of 30 mph wind and be reminded of His Spirit living and breathing in me.

sowing seed

A farmer went out to sow his seed...
Some fell on the path;

the birds ate them.

Some fell on rocky places;

it quickly sprang up but was scorched

and withered from having no roots.

Some fell among thorns;

these grew and choked the plants

Some fell on good soil;

it produced a crop.

Jesus explains this parable in Matthew 13:18-23. In Crazy Love, Francis Chan writes, "My caution to you is this: Do not assume you are good soil."

As I finished up making mounds of cucumbers and zucchini and squash and melons, I thought to myself, Okay, these seeds better grow now. We've planted about 15 packets of "premium" seeds in this garden of good soil. What if it's all for nothing?! What if they don't come up? What if the seeds don't grow? What a WASTE that would be. Not just a waste of money, but a waste of time. We planted 1,800 tiny pink corn seeds all by hand. How frustrated we would be if they don't produce a crop.

What does God think when seed does not produce fruit? What does He think when it is choked out?

I cannot assume that I am good soil.

truth: God is good

Do you believe that God is good?

The new book on my nightstand is Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. Nancy discusses 40 common lies that many women tend to believe. Lie #1: God is not really good. The real truth is: God IS good. Before starting this section I thought, Oh, this one should be easy. I know that God is good. As a kid, I prayed the "God is great, God is good, and we thank you for the food..." prayer at mealtime. Of COURSE I know that God is good. I grew up with that baseline truth.

What tempts me to question God's goodness? In my relatively easy life, it's hard to find an answer. After all, my struggles, disappointments, and pain are pretty minute compared to some. Even if I claim to know that God is good, there are many times that my attitude of worry, stress, selfishness, etc. is not indicative of believing that truth.

HOW do I know that God is good? The Bible teaches it, and God proves it. Everything He made is good (1 Tim. 4:4). His love endures forever (2 Ch. 7:3). God is good and what He does is good (Ps. 119:68). His Name is good (Ps. 52:9). He gives good gifts (Matt. 7:11). ...just to name a few... And if that isn't proof enough, read Ephesians 1:3-14. Do what Nancy suggests: make a list of all the blessings God has given to us from this passage.

• He has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
• He chose us to be holy and blameless.
• He adopted us.
• He gives us grace freely - Jesus, His Son!
• And through Jesus, we have redemption, forgiveness, grace with wisdom and understanding.
• He revealed the mystery of His will to us.
• He works things out for us according to His will.
• He marked us with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.

And WHAT ARE WE COMPLAINING ABOUT?!?! Why IN THE WORLD would my attitude be bad?!?! TASTE and SEE that He is GOOD! (Psalm 34:8) It's TRUE! God is good! And I can't just say that flippantly. I want to live with that in the forefront of my mind.

Conclusion...

Joe Eaton, a man with spina bifida writes: "Both pain and pleasure are meant to point us to the same reality; namely, that Jesus Christ is infinitely beautiful and so much more than enough for our every need. Living for Him, even suffering for Him, is worth every moment of affliction! Why? Because Jesus shows you such beauty in pain, because He is there and He is carrying us through."

It's not about me.

Hannah Whitall Smith writes: "A great many things in God's divine providences do not look to the eye like goodness. But faith sits down before mysteries such as these, and says, 'The Lord is good, therefore all that He does must be good no matter how it looks. I can wait for His explanations.'"

spring images

one of my favorite grandpas

He'll be 90 in May.

our Maker

Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills-

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip-

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you-

the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm-

he will watch over your life;

The LORD will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

forgetting the fire

Do you remember how it was at first, when you made that decision to make Jesus Lord of your life? When you felt the Holy Spirit's real presence? When this indescribable fire and passion burned in your heart to serve God?

I was convicted this morning when I read Hebrews 10. Verse 32 reminded me: "Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering." Years ago, I had circled the word "remember." But I so easily forget that fire that burns so hot at first. And I'm not even experiencing "the face of suffering" and the insult and persecution these people were. That may be the problem. These Christians had been imprisoned for their faith; their stuff had been taken. In fact, they "joyfully accepted the confiscation of [their] property, because [they] knew that [they themselves] had better and lasting possessions" (v. 34).

It's been 10 days since I finished this book Safely Home with a fire burning in my heart. This is a fiction book describing the experiences of the Christian Li Quan in China. Quan's whole attitude was summed up in one question he asked daily: "Is this the day I die?" Sounds morbid, but it's not. Quan lived for Yesu. He and his family risked their lives by worshiping in secret house churches. They risked their safety, their property, their lives by owning a Bible...not to mention how risky it was to spread the Good News to other people.

Toward the end of the book, Quan's American friend visits Quan in prison. He asks Quan, "When you pray for me, what do you ask?"

Quan answers, "That you will face persecution....and that through it you will grow. That you will learn to stand strong. That you will know you are in a war, and that you will put on your armor and learn to use the sword of the Spirit, God's Word."

The American responds, "So, while I'm praying you will suffer less, you're praying that I will suffer more?"

Quan answers again, "We both should pray that the other will live in a way pleasing to Yesu. I do not wish to see my friend suffer. But I believe it may be the only way for you to learn how to serve. In house churches we have little to hope in but our God. In America, you have much to hope in besides God. None but he can bear the weight of your hope. But that is often forgotten. The test of prosperity is not easily passed."

That's precisely the problem. We're too comfortable here in America, and it's hurting us spiritually. No, I don't wish to suffer, but it would sure help me remember my first love. How easily I forget. The Church of Ephesus was judged for this in Revelation 2:4-5. "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first."

So, what can I do? Repent and stuff myself with the Word daily, actually every hour of the day - instead of merely strawberry shortcake and whipped cream. Saturate myself with "things above, not on earthly things" (Col. 3:1-2). Humble myself and have that attitude of Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5-11). Suffering may come, and if it does, I pray that I stand the test.

a touch crazy

The kids are done for the day. Isaac sleeps deep. I peek into his room and look at the rise and fall of his chest. Just for a bit, I put my finger in his palm. He holds tight even as he sleeps. After the day is done, it's easy to forget the challenges of that day, especially to the soft hum of the David Nevue Pandora station. Why is it so hard to keep that perspective in the middle of the day?! I revisit Ann Voskamp's A Touch Crazy for the ump-teenth time, and pray that I can be a better mommy tomorrow.