February 24

            One morning not long ago, I was staring out the window at church, and I saw some very tall evergreen trees swaying to the rhythm of the wind. I don’t know if you’ve had the chance to watch the wind gently blow through some trees for a long period of time, but it has rather a hypnotic effect. Upon looking at these trees that were moving to the whims of the passing breeze, I was suddenly struck by the image of arms being upraised to heaven, in worship of the Creator. I like to think of those giant trees silently praising God just by moving whichever way the wind is blowing.

            The wind is a fickle thing. It can be gentle, as I’ve just described, or it can be fierce and terrifying. If you’ve ever lived through a hurricane, you will know what I’m talking about. Jesus and the disciples knew what a fierce wind was like when they were caught in a major storm on the Sea of Galilee. They were in an open boat and being lashed by heavy rain, howling wind, and giant waves. The disciples, bluntly, were freaking out. They were unsure whether they were going to live or die. But Jesus, unconcerned about the storm, stood up and commanded the storm to stop. And it did. Just like that.

            Perhaps this is a lesson we can take away from these rhythms in the wind. Just like those trees, we are going to be buffeted all our lives by winds. Sometimes the wind will be gentle, but other times, it will be gale force winds. At those times, we may feel like the disciples, unsure what the aftermath of the storm will be. But Jesus will come to calm the storm, if we but call upon His name. And He will also be with us when the wind is gentle. Whether the wind is beating a soothing tempo or doing the rumba in our lives, the important thing to remember is that Jesus is still the Conductor.