The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8, NASB)
The beginning of a new year is always a time of reflection and resolution for me. As I reflect upon the past year, I feel like Rip Van Winkle awakening to discover that the world has changed. The only constant other than change has been God.
Looking to the year ahead, I am reminded of the most important lesson I learned as a sailor, which was to follow the wind, for without wind a sailboat is powerless. This sounds obvious and deceptively simple, but in learning to sail on a lake, I had to be aware of the wind and sensitive to its constant change in direction and strength. I learned to "see" the wind on the water as it stirred up waves. The other boats, especially during a race, were a constant distraction from the wind. I had to be careful not to lose my focus on the wind by comparing my boat's speed and direction to that of the others. Yet, the greatest distraction was my own boat and the lines that allowed me to make fine adjustments to the sails in order to try to go faster.
This year, I resolve to continue to walk with God by abiding in Jesus Christ. The experience I gained as a sailor continues to be invaluable in helping me do this. Jesus Himself compared the Spirit to the wind, "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8, NASB) Jesus used the same word “Raucha” for the wind and Spirit in this verse. I believe He is saying we don’t have to understand the wind to experience it nor do we need to know where the Spirit is going, but simply to follow Him. Interestingly, “Raucha” also means breath. It is the Spirit that empowers us just as the wind empowers a sailboat. I resolve this year to follow the wind and let the Spirit lead me in “the unforced rhythms of grace.” (Matthew 11:29, MSG)
I am reminded of a story shared by Brennan Manning in his book Ruthless Trust. "When the brilliant ethicist John Kavanaugh went to work for three months at 'the house of the dying' in Calcutta, he was seeking a clear answer as to how best to spend the rest of his life. On the first morning there he met Mother Teresa. She asked, 'And what can I do for you?' Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him. 'What do you want me to pray for?' she asked. He voiced the request that he had borne thousands of miles from the United States: 'Pray that I have clarity.' She said firmly, 'No, I will not do that.' When he asked her why, she said, 'Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.' When Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed and said, 'I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God.'
May we relax and trust God to lead us this year as He empowers us through His Spirit and share His "Raucha" with others!
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