The colder winds of autumn are blowing here this morning,
harbinger of what’s to come, I’m afraid. Wind is one aspect of the weather
which I definitely don’t like. So often, here, it carries a damp edge to it
which cuts right through the layers of clothing and chills the bones.
It’s not that severe today, thankfully, being only early
September. But it is a nudge to the complacent soul who was hoping that summer
would last forever. Wish I’d finished tying up the raspberry canes the other
day when the sun beat warm on my face. Sigh.
When I’m in a right grumpy mood about the wind, I’ve been
heard to complain that there’s no point in it. It uproots trees, brings down
power cables, lifts off roofs, and even injures and kills people, in its most
severe form. It can ruin whole fields of crops and slaughter the raspberry
canes.
And it messes up my hair. (That’s a joke – my hair is
generally a little messed up anyway!)
But of course I know that it does do some good things. When I
see birds soaring on the thermals, higher and higher, effortlessly, I know they
appreciate the free ride. When I see seed balls broken and tumbling along in
the wind, I understand this is one of nature’s ways of procreation. When the
clouds heavy with rain hang overhead, I positively pray that a wind would come
and shift them along to the next venue.
When the disciples were tossed in the tempest on the Sea of
Galilee, fearing for their lives as the night wore on without respite from the
storm, Jesus came to them walking on the water, unperturbed by wind or waves. He
was a picture of perfect peace, unafraid despite the wild waves and strong
wind.
Peter leapt out of the boat, eager to do what he saw his friend
and master doing. And he did it successfully, as long as he kept his eyes fixed
on the Lord Jesus. When he lost that self-discipline, though, and allowed his
attention to stray to the tossing waves and the howling gale, fear caused his
faith to falter and his feet got wet as he began to sink. Of course Jesus
reached out and helped him back into the boat, and the storm subsided.
If the wind is in your face today, and the waves are
splashing your feet, call out to Jesus. He always hears a cry for help, and
always responds. The storm doesn’t always subside immediately, but with your
focus on him, you will be able to walk through it fearlessly and arrive,
exhilarated, on the farther shore.
