Monday, May 5, 2014

BLOWING IN THE WIND


Remember that old song?

"Blowin' In the Wind" – the answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind…

Yeah, well, let me tell you something – there has been no *answer* blowin' in the wind that's hit our mountain like a hurricane.

A more appropriate song might be, "Yo ho, blow the man (woman) down…"

A few days ago, we got hit with some pretty big winds, but they were nothing like this.

We live on the top of the mountain, in a sort of rock amphitheatre and the wind has been howling for over 12 hours  (35 to 40 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph).

I have been up almost all night.

The wind unnerves me greatly.

I feel like a little piggy cowering inside while the Big Bad Wolf huffs and puffs (hey, no comment on the piggy remark…)

I'm scared.  Scared that a window might break, or that the roof might blow off, or that stuff (like my car) is going to blow right off the side of the mountain.  And, I myself am not going outside if I can help it.  No sirree…

And then, I'm just sort of scared of the wind itself.  

It's wild, unpredictable, powerful.


I've been thinking about two things in the last 12 hours of wakefulness.

First, I've been reminded of those verses about what kind of foundation you choose to build your *house* on – sand or rock.

And how that choice affects you when life starts to pound against your walls.

We can think things are on solid footing, including our faith – but the proof of the pudding comes when the storms roll in.

There's no shame in being buffeted and tossed and scared in the wild winds of turmoil and suffering.

But…what happens to our *house* is what really counts.


I believe that our physical house is solidly built.

In fact, just yesterday, we randomly met the builder who built it 17 years ago.  He happened to be driving by with a new client, and wanted to show her some of his handiwork.  We just happened to be bringing in groceries.

Let me tell you, it was so much fun and so interesting to hear him talk about the house being designed and built.  We learned many new things about our home's nooks and crannies.

Like how the ceiling wasn't originally a cathedral ceiling.  It was originally built flat, until the owner said to tear it all out and lift it up – he couldn't see the mountain!

And, how you used to have to walk through the closet to get into the bathroom.  (HUH???)  That's what I thought.  The builder said, "Hey, don't know what to tell you!"  (Glad the next owner changed that design!!)

One thing he mentioned really stuck with me.

He said the original owner wanted a house that hugged the ground. He used the word *hunker*.

"Yeah, old Horace wanted a house that hunkered."

Little did I know yesterday that the house would be "tested" that very night.

It's standing firm.

I want my spiritual *house* to be like that, too.

I want to have a rock-solid foundation.  I want to be able to stand firm through whatever befalls me.

To do that, I must build on The Rock, for He is the original Designer.

Yes, He'll allow me to be tested – but in my hunkering down, my leaning into Him, He will enable me to endure.


So, the second thing I'm thinking about is the wind itself.

Like I said, it’s wild, unpredictable, powerful.

It is like God Himself.

Listen to this:

"The Hebrew language phrase ruach ha-kodesh (Hebrew: רוח הקודש, "holy spirit" also transliterated ruaḥ ha-qodesh) is a term used in the Hebrew Bible and Jewish writings to refer to the Spirit of Yahweh… The noun ruaḥ, much like the English word breath, can mean either wind or some invisible moving force..."  (From Wikipedia)

Yeah, the Holy Spirit – a wild, unpredictable, powerful Wind.

I like that image.

And though it's a bit unsettling, I like the idea of a God that is kinda scary, kinda fearsome, kinda overwhelming.

Otherwise, He wouldn't be God.  He'd be my god – (with a little "g").

A god created in my image.  A god who fits tidily into my definitions and my expectations.

A god who most likely would never, ever have done the unthinkable – enter into humanity Himself.

That was a wildly unpredictable moment in time.

Shocking, audacious, thrilling, authoritative.

Yeah, I kinda like a God who's Almighty.

You know why?

Because I also know He's kind.

I don't ever take that for granted.

I shouldn't be here, shouldn't have been offered the great and mysterious gift of salvation.  I should be destroyed.

But I'm not.

Mercy somehow fulfilled justice…and I live.  Now and forever.

Wild!!


So, it's now 9:00 AM, and it's still howling outside.

But, our mountain home is standing…

…and so am I.

Standing on the solid Rock that gives me the foundation to persevere.  

The Rock who allows me to be tested by the storms, buffeted by the winds, assailed by the thunder and lightning and pouring rain, and tossed by the mighty waves.

The Rock who is wild, unpredictable, and powerful.

The Rock who is not tame.

The Rock who never changes.

The One who is ever good.





My hope is in Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.





"He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth.  He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses." (Psalm 135:7, NLT)

"Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind…you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things." (Ecclesiastes 11:5, NLT)

"For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind,
            Which lifted up the waves of the sea…
He caused the storm to be still,
            So that the waves of the sea were hushed." 
(Psalm 107:25, 29, NASB)

"Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 'Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?...What is the way to the place where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?'" (Job 38:1-2, 24, ESV)

"But Jesus spoke to them at once. 'Don't be afraid,' he said. 'Take courage! I am here!'  Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed…" (Mark 6:50-51, NLT)

"He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm." (Luke 8:24, NIV)

"The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit." (John 3:8, NLT)

"On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting…And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:1-3, NLT)

"'Go out and stand before me on the mountain,' the LORD told him.  And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain.  It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.  And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper." (1 Kings 19:11-12, NLT)



What storms have been buffeting you lately?  How are you standing firm?



(SIDENOTE:  My great sympathy and sincere prayers go out to all the people who have been touched by the devastation of the recent tornadoes in the Midwest.  May God bring healing and strength and peace.)


(SIDENOTE #2:  To fulfill a long-time promise to "The Hub" - I will be taking this week off from visiting, commenting, and linking up to other blogs. Thanks for coming by, and I'd appreciate your comments.  I'll be back next week!)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

23 comments:

  1. great post Sharon. Me? I love the wind. It speaks to me of His amazing power. And I love the mountains. When I stand on the top of them, I feel His power. I love the mountains more than the beach. He's keeping you safe Sharon....on the mountains, in the wind, everywhere and anywhere. Happy Monday.

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  2. Hi Sharon, We were studying Hebrews Chapter 2, at our evening service last night. Much of what you have said so fits in with our discussions. Also many storms of life have hit myself and family and my church family, but we too are standing on the promises of God. One of my favourite hymns "Here in the Power of Christ I Stand.

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  3. I love this post, Sharon. Although I do love the wind, it can be scary at times...especially when you live in the woods with tall oaks, some within several feet from your house! We get winds from hurricanes here mostly. I love the way you likened your description to the holy sprit. Have a wonderful week off!

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  4. Hi Sharon! Beautiful reflection on the wind. I just wrote a post about the solid rock too, so I really relate to the idea that we should be rooted and grounded in Christ.
    I think all that wind and the noise that comes with it, would be nerve-wracking. How good God is that the builder would 'just happen' to come by. And your heart was put to rest. Amen!
    Enjoy your week off! We all need a break from time to time.
    Blessings,
    Ceil

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  5. Enjoy the break, Sharon. I do like how you had a chance to meet with the house designer and he was able to detail some of the construction aspects of the house that does seem to be solidly built. I know your faith too is solidly built, even if it temporarily gets blown a little by the wind, you always know to come back to its firm foundation.

    betty

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  6. Great post...on Christ the solid rock I stand. I also love that he is Big G God and not little g god, which is how I would make him...giving him limits. He is far above all the limits
    Great post

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  7. This is so powerful, Sharon. I love coming by here and being nourished...fed with Gods Word and your writing.

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  8. What a wonderful post! I loved the part about hunkering. That was the best of all.

    I hope you had a wonderful birthday, and I hope you and the Hubs are having a wonderful, cyber-free, week.

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  9. We live on a hill...and it can be very windy here too. this post was written just for me, right? Love your thoughts and scripture choices.

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  10. The winds unnerve me too. We get Santa Ana winds from October thru May and after growing up in Illinois I'm always waiting for a tornado. Took me years to get use to them. Have to say we had the worst ones every last week. How awesome to meet the builder of your home. Take care and God bless......

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  11. Blowin' in the wind, huh? Yeah, I remember that and the other huffs and puffs ... as I sit outside today taking in a fresh breeze instead of the heat... there probably is a big difference between your howling wind and the joy I feel from this breezy wind. To me that's the Holy Spirit! (I'll stay clear of "boxing" Him into my image, I liked that part too!)

    Yet I can recall the sound of strong MN winds and I'm talking strong ... tornado size strength and can't imagine being set up high in the mountains (inside or outdoors) and hearing the unsettling force of gale winds...however Sharon, once again, you hunkered down and anchored yourself in HOPE and God! Tying all this together spiritually strong on the Rock! Thanks for the Hebrew lesson of the Spirit! I've been reflecting on this "wind" and God concept since my 1st read, hoping that I'd find something powerful to write... but it's not in me, it's in the power of His Holy Spirit ... that I find the calm or can utter a sound when I know it's not me but Him and being in His Presence! So I sit and take it all in and let go of anything weighing me down... but if the when picks up and storms begin to roll, perhaps I may find myself not so peaceful and calm, in need of hankering down all fears, waves, and the force (that is not a good "Force be with you") but the kind like others recently experienced and I dread.

    Knowing God's in control sometimes helps us with our fears, yet we still have to face them head on. That's when I depend on the Rock and the Spirit within, with Hope! (so did you write this for me? or is that God talking thru you and your keyboard?)

    I too offer my prayers along with sympathy for the many that have faced complete devastation in the Midwest tornadoes and storm front! May a terrible season! Something awful and fierce reared its ugly head. I wonder if the "winds" you heard and had are connected in a new storm system jetting across the continent. My heart breaks when I hear about things like these and I stayed tuned in all week right up until National Day of Prayer... praying and asking God to lift this storm front and comfort the many. I heard of one story that moved me to sobs and at the same time awe of such faith of a mother in Arkansas.

    Love the God-incidence of meeting the designer of your mountain home and learning more details of your place that the real Designer put together for you and the Hubs to enjoy. I pray that you have a blessed time as you enjoy the week away! Looking forward to your return ...cuz you know my place is so lonely without your input and inspiration although I have a couple of others that keep me loved, your insights seem to speak to me so I've become accustomed to your face at my place.

    Many blessings and peace,
    Peggy

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  12. How cool to have learned so much about your home's design!
    Through this particular storm...I am learning a lot about my foundation...How strrong the 'Rock' really is....though I might loose a shingle or two from the rooftop..I remain securely hunkered down! LOL!
    Blessings and love to you, my friend.~ Lisa

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  13. Powerful post. We get high winds too, and my husband LOVES wind chimes. Ouy vey!

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  14. Love this! I'm from KS and nothing thrills me as much as high winds & storms. I feel so small, yet perfectly protected. Storms have always reflected Gods power & majesty to me. Thank you for a great read! Blessings!

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  15. Your post reminds me of the house built on the rock that stood when the house on the sand went smash! We built a house on a mountain, and the county required us to deeply set steel pilings into the ground to hold it fast. Sounds like your builder did a similar thing. Thank you for sharing with us here at "Tell Me a True Story."

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  16. Wonderful post. I Love that song "The answer is blowing in the wind...". Enjoy your time away. You're invited to stop by when you return. Feedback is VERY Welcome.

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  17. Love this reflection of of being safe on the Solid Rock even though the "wild winds of turmoil and suffering" buffet us. This "hunkering" down into Him. Thank you for this beautiful picture, Sharon.


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  18. There is so much going on re: weather in many places. And being where the Lord wants us to be is all we can deal with, moment by moment. Trusting Him is all we can do. Thanks for sharing.

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  19. Hi Sharon, while this speaks to my heart it also reminded me of my parents' house back on the mountains of NE India. We live on a mountaintop and get plenty of winds...

    Beautiful post, we sure need to have our faith deeply rooted on the rock of our salvation.

    Have a great weekend!
    Ruth

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  20. Visiting from Faith Barista...love the idea of "a house that hunkered". I want to be able to stand firm also even in the storms.

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  21. Me again! Catching up and what a wonderful way to spend my morning. Keeping this short as I'm off to work soon but I'm so enjoying your messages. So much to reflect on. I love your heart for the Lord. Lots of goosebumps this morning. {Hugs}

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  22. Sharon, I loved this story. Well, true story of the powerful wind and the comparison you made to God. I liked the part about the builder. Thanks for sharing it and see you again after your break from visiting and commenting.

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"So [I] have been greatly encouraged in the midst of [my] troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives [me] new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How [I] thank God for you!" (1 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

Thanks for your comments - it is such a joy to be sharing my journey with friends like YOU!

(NOTE: Anonymous comments will be removed. Thank you for understanding.)