I sit here again this morning and listen to the sound of the wind as it rushes through the trees and around the buildings. This is day two of a strong weather front moving through our area.

I see its effects as I look out the window. I hear its sound as it sweeps past the house. When I step outside, I feel the pressure against my body, pushing me to go with it. I resist, and with effort, I go my own way.

Wind…

Its powerful forces move rivers of moisture around the globe. It can move dirt, sand, oceans, and even rock in ways no human invention can match. It is a formidable force, yet we spend billions building structures designed to resist it.

I’ve lived my entire life either on the prairies of the Midwest or along the coasts of the Pacific and the Gulf. I know firsthand the impact of wind. There are the scorching Santa Anas, the drowning hurricanes, and the terrifying tornadoes. In seventy years, I’ve lived through them all.

Yet it is the ever-present, day-in and day-out breeze that keeps me refreshed and alive that I so often forget. Days go by and I hardly notice its gentle movement. Its life-giving oxygen and moisture go largely unseen, though we would not live without it. Just think of those dog days of summer and the heaviness of stagnant air.

In a conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus said:

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

— John 3:8 (ESV)

There are hundreds of references to wind, breath, and spirit in Scripture, all flowing from two root words: the Hebrew ruach and the Greek pneuma. From the creation account in Genesis, to the parting of the Red Sea, to the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2, Scripture reminds us again and again of the Breath of God at work.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…”

— 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

The breath of God…

Sometimes it scorches and clears away what chokes life.

Sometimes it sweeps us along and moves us to higher ground.

Sometimes it drives us to take cover under its weight.

But most often, the Breath of God—His Spirit—is at work in quieter ways. Moving us toward maturity. Drawing us into usefulness. Breathing life into what once was dry.

Unseen… yet ever present.

Forgotten… yet always there.

I think I’ll set my sail today and see where the Wind takes me.

After all… why waste the energy resisting?

Blessings,

Jarvis

From Soil to Soul