The Wind in our Lives

Whoever penned the phrase ‘April showers’ should change it to April winds.  April showers bring May flowers but the winds drive friends away.  OK, I made that last part up.  Lying in bed listening to the wind beating against my window makes me think of the book “Gilberto and the Wind” by Marie Hall Ets.  It was a favorite book to read to the kids when they growing up and the wind freighted them.

At first the wind is Gilberto’s friend, gently floating his balloon around in the air.  The story tells of the winds many escapades, blowing through the laundry hanging on the line or how Wind would blow the gate to the back yard around and how much fun it was to climb up on the gate for a free ride or how Wind moved the tall grass in the meadow, and how thrilling it was to race with the wind.

But when the wind tries to take your umbrella away from you or catches your kite in a tree and breaks it, then, the wind is no longer Gilberto friend.  When the wind becomes so strong that it starts breaking the trees in half, and knocking fences down, Gilberto runs into the house, locks the door and whispers, “No Wind go away.”

When stormy winds invade our lives, when we find ourselves in the valley longing for the mountain top; when we think we might not make it through one more tumultuous storm, all we have to do is look up and know that even in the storms of life, even when the wind frightens us, God is with us.  He will never leave us nor forsake us.

God never promised us a rose garden, along with the sunshine, comes a little bit of rain, sometimes…but when the sun finally comes out again and the wind is just right to sail a paper boat…”when the day comes that Wind is all tired out, (like Gilberto in our story), we can say, “Wind, Oh Wind where are you?”  “Sh-sh-sh-sh,” answers the wind, and he stirs one dry leaf to show where he is.

Just like God shows us every day where He is. “Sh-sh-sh-sh…be still and know that I am God.”  Just like Gilberto lay down next to the wind under the willow tree, we can lie down next to God and go to sleep beside him and know that He will take care of us – even in the windy storms.

I Peter 5:7 - "...casting all your anxiety upon Him for He cares for you."