Fighting the Wind

As is common in the adventures of my life, I found myself again, along the rocky cliffs of Santa Cruz. The weather was stormy, windy, and cold. One step outside of my car, and I realized I had forgotten my jacket.. So I ventured quickly to the edge of the sea to absorb for a few brief moments the violent beauty that I have grown to love. The oceans ripples were seen everywhere as the wind blew across the face of the sea. The waves crashed along the edge of the coast, creating a beautiful sound only heard in nature. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Not wanting to upset the masses, I quickly jumped back in my vehicular mobile, and headed to church. It was on this drive "home" (isn't church supposed to be family?) that I saw for a brief moment the vivid contrast to what I just experienced. Four children stood fighting the wind. It was picture perfect really. Now I am sure that they were having the time of their life, fighting the sea as they would throw pebbles at the ocean with everything they had. Keep in mind, they weren't just tossing them over the cliff with half efforts. No, they were heaving with everything they had, little rocks against the violent wind. It was an epic battle, with no hope of victory for the four valiant warriors.

It reminded me of a couple things. First, it seems like that is how we are with God sometimes. Our futile attempt to fight Him is liking throwing rocks at the wind. He comes to bring winds of change that will be to our benefit, and the first thing we do is pick up our rocks of tradition to fight this change. We pick up or pebbles of position because we don't like the winds of change that God is bringing. It may threaten our positions of power, or traditions, or current way of thinking. Yet, these are the very things that God wants to crash against. Its the very reason he is shaking us up.

I will be first to tell you I do not like change. I do like being thrown of the course that I have set in the sea of life, yet it seems so often that God brings along the winds to change my direction, because He knows I am needing to head a different direction. Ask my roommate how well I have handled graduating, leaving Bethany, being stuck in a transitional period with no end in site. Yet, its in these travailing winds that God wants me to be.

I guess what made the image of the kids fighting against the wind, is that I saw myself standing on those shores. I am spiritually, emotionally, and foolishly throughing rocks again the wind. I guess its time to stop, and stand with my face in the wind, and enjoy the ripples and tides that God has brought to me during this time. It's time to embrace the wind.