Yesterday I went hiking. I walked and ran through God's beautiful creation - watching the landscape open up beneath me as I went higher and higher, observing the patterns on the rocks and looking at the hardy plants that survive the living conditions on the edge of a sandstone butte. Or mesa? I'm not entirely clear on the definitions of each. Perhaps I will figure them out in social studies this year.

It was a gorgeous day - cool, blue sky punctuated by clouds, and very windy. That was nice, as I was getting a bit warm as I climbed. I could feel the sun on my back too, which reminded me that God was right there with me. As I crested the butte/mesa, I could tell I was in for a blast. I'm not the best judge of wind speed, but it was probably about 50mph on the top there. I fought my way to the very peak, covering my face with my arm to keep the sand out of my eyes, hanging onto my hair so it stayed attached to my head, and bracing myself so I didn't blow away. :-)

I love the wind. It reminds me of God's power. If God can blow pieces of sand from Gallup, NM all the way up to the top of Pyramid Peak where they run into my t-shirt (and hurt) - then He can move people's hearts to accomplish justice. If He can push me with such volume of air that I can barely stand against it, then He can bring masses into His kingdom. If my Daddy in heaven can waste so much power on such a small thing as some wind on a Saturday afternoon, then I can trust Him to worry about my other concerns.

And God says the wind is a picture of His Spirit. Sometimes I don't notice that the wind is moving. But yesterday I couldn't miss it. Likewise, sometimes I don't notice that His Spirit is moving. But yesterday, braced against the glorious representation of God's strength, I knew that He is working.
He is working His way in the story of the church member in prison for a complete accident.
He is working in the life of my student from last year who came back to visit for a day and broke his arm quite badly.
He is working through the stresses of two school families with housing issues.
He is working with my student who moved to Albuquerque because his father received custody.
He is working in the life and family of another regular church attender who succumbed to the temptation of alcohol and is serving a jail term for DWI.
He is caring for my family as I am far away.
He is working in my life, teaching me to trust. I only thought I had learned that lesson six years ago. :-}

The God of the wild, unpredictable, free wind is the God who is in charge of my life. He is in charge of my school, the church in Zuni, the church in the United States, the church in the World. He has the power to change things. He is working, and He works through people. John 3 says "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." So - be a Spirit-blown Christian. And pray. Thanks.