“Wind blows where it wants; you hear it, but don’t know where it came from.” ~ John 3:8
Janelle loved listening to the familiar
sounds around their home, especially the sound of laughter.
But when the house was quiet, she
cherished birds chirping, wind rustling through the trees, and soothing music wafting
in the background.
Hanging capiz shell wind chimes
on the front porch brought an unexpected impact on how their home felt. The breeze tickling those shells outside her
kitchen window had become pure magic.
As a child she’d always been fascinated by the simplicity of
wind chimes. No matter which way the
wind blew or how hard the gusts struck them, they never stopped singing.
Janelle loved the idea of the wind chimes soothing her to
sleep. Even more, she adored the music
from them waking her to the miracles of this life.
“If we all could just follow their example, what glorious
music we could fill this world with,” she thought. Both a breath of air and a breeze reminded
Janelle of the power of the Holy Spirit.
You can’t see the wind; only its effect on anything that gets
blown about by it. You cannot actually
hear wind either unless it is acting on an object in its path. Our senses can grasp the sounds made by the
wind, but only our immortal soul can grasp the wind itself.
Accordingly, the Holy Spirit is
omnipresent and invisible, making His presence known by the effects of His
action. Just as we know that the wind is
present when the boat’s sail is full and when the kite soars upward, the Holy
Spirit’s presence is known by its effects: the birth of a baby and the death of
a grudge; the softening of a heart and the rigor of courage. The scent of lilacs, the taste of fresh
strawberries and the brilliance of stars are miraculous. They are all "wind chimes" that
tell us that the God we serve is alive.
If we were sensitive enough, the "chiming" of all
these miracles would make such a racket we'd have to hold our ears. Instead, we tend to walk around "tone
deaf" for days, never hearing a sound.
Unless something or someone reminds us.
God created us to make beautiful music with our lives; to
make each of our days a song of love, laughter, caring, and sharing. So, never let your chimes fall silent. Make your own life a concert of joy no matter
which way the winds may turn you.
