POTLUCK 4/20/09

This week we are going to look at a variety of devotional thoughts. I always have a good time remembering when and hope that these bring up your own memories of similar situations. God is good to me and I can't imagine a time that He hasn't been there when my life was full of laughter and when I have been sad and even afraid.
WHEN THE WINDY CAME!
For mothers day around 1965, Jim bought me a tree. It was a young tree but was well on it’s way when sometime in the fall the rains came and living close to the coast the wind followed. One evening the wind was so strong our young tree was being blown to and fro and surely would break if we didn’t do something. Jim got rope and stakes to secure the tree, but while he was preparing I was to hold the tree up to prevent the inevitable damage. My struggle was great because the wind was strong! When Jim secured the tree the winds began to subside and I was tired.
When the kids were 7 and 8 we drove along the Oregon coast because now we didn’t live near the ocean but many miles away. One afternoon we decided to take advantage of one of the viewpoints. It was beautiful out and we could see that the wind was blowing but we had no idea how much it was blowing. Jim parked the car and I opened my door! It flew open and papers began to fly around inside the car. We should have understood the significance of all that but the kids jumped out the back door and immediately the wind began to spin them around. I began yelling for Jim to grab them, and all the while, I was trying to get a hold of Jennifer and keep myself from flying away.
Another time we took the three grandsons along with Jennifer for a bike ride. This particular bike path ran along Bear Creek and the sides of the path were filled with many trees and ground foliage. Not long after we got onto the path we noticed the sky becoming dark and the wind began to pick up. Jennifer and Adam went on ahead! The rest of us had not gone far when the wind turned into a fierce gale with branches falling all around us and we were unable to steady our bikes. Up ahead we could see that Adam and Jennifer were peddling back as fast as they could. Later on as Jordan who was about 6, was telling the story he said; "And then the windy came"!
We can’t see the wind but we see the evidence of the wind and we can feel it. No one can deny when the windy comes. We read often John 3:8 where Jesus says; "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". Do you know what Jesus is saying? He had just told Nicodemus that; "Ye must be born again"! Jesus was saying that we must be born of the spirit. Being born of the flesh was not enough! Let’s rephrase John 3:8; "The spirit comes from where it is and you feel it but you do not know how it comes and from where. Neither do you hear the sound of it but you feel it. More importantly you can feel and see the results of its presence in you". Jesus was likening the wind around us to the Spirit within us. You can’t see it, touch it, or smell it but you can see the evidence of it; you can feel the presence of it; and you can experience the results of it.
Remember the story in Luke and in Mark 4:35-41. Jesus was asleep while the Apostles were experiencing a fierce gale of wind. They were afraid! They woke Jesus up and said; "Master, do you not care that we are perishing"? Jesus said to the wind and the sea; "Hush, peace, be still"! The winds and the waves immediately were calm and then Jesus said; "Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have so little faith"? They became even more afraid and said to one another; "Who is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him"? We need Jesus! We need to follow His commands and become one of those who the Holy Spirit indwells! Walking in faith can be ours when we have the presence of the Spirit within us! We run for cover when the windy comes, but we are safe in the Spirit. By Jane Ann Crenshaw 11/25/08