Winds of Change

It’s autumn.

The winds of change are blowing.

Girlfriends, have you been outside this week? Have you gone on a walk, worked in the yard, or just sat soaking in the sun? If not, I encourage you to open the door and go. Soon enough, we will be huddled inside, clothed in layers, snuggling under blankets, and totally avoiding the outdoor world. 

It’s autumn.

The winds of change are blowing.

I just returned from a walk without music, headphones, or even my cell phone for that matter. (Pause. Overcome your shock that my iphone parted from my body for a few minutes. Continue reading.) The flags are whipping on their poles. Leaves of the trees are whooshing and whispering secrets only angels understand. The gusts were blowing my hair all over my head, only to die down and leave my face hidden behind all the wild strands. I consciously breathed deeply and exhaled slowly, savoring the fresh fall air, sharing thoughts with God, and sensing the seasonal transition breaking through time.

It’s autumn.

The winds of change are blowing.

With every step around the neighborhood (carefully counted on my FitBit of course!), I felt God moving me away from a cherished past and toward an exciting, yet still unknown, future. Have you ever experienced God’s stirring in your body? Sometimes when I walk, I am forcing myself forward against the wind, wondering why I am even trying, or what is the point? At other times, the air is calm and still, and I don’t think at all. But today was different. The wind was at my back, and I almost felt like I was gliding over the newly blacktopped roads of our subdivision (which in reality would have been a good thing because now my shoes have black tar on the bottoms!) Today, the winds of change were blowing, propelling me in a different life direction, almost as if the wind and I were one, united in purpose and meaning. I sit here now, thinking, “ With whom did I really walk today? Was that whistling truly just the wind?”

It’s autumn.

The winds of change are blowing.

Girlfriends, I do not know where you are today, right now, in your life’s journey. Maybe you are fighting headstrong into hurricane force gales, holding on for dear life, wondering if you will make it through another minute, hour, or day? Perhaps you are caught up in the spiral of a tornado, spinning and screaming for someone to let you out? Maybe you are in a still, serene place with no wind at all, just savoring the peace and calm? Possible you are not relishing the calm, because you see a foreboding sky and wonder when the storm will start and how long will it last? Or maybe, like me, you have the winds of change at your back, forcing you onward whether you like it or not? Maybe, like Mary Poppins, you are “on the wind” with your umbrella at this very moment, about to land in a purposeful place that is desperately in need of your gifts and talents. 

Whatever your circumstances, my friends, one thing I know

for certain is that the Force behind every gust, breeze, or calm is our Father in Heaven, Who both created and controls the winds of our lives. I pray today that you put your hope and your trust in that invisible force, in that God you may not “see,” but Who, just like the wind, is present even when your eyes cannot perceive. Our Lord directs the winds of change for His purpose and His plan, and Girlfriends, you can fight it, or you can flow with it. You have a choice. I pray this week, take a walk with the Lord. Pray. Sense His presence. Ask His forgiveness. Receive it and be blessed. Feel His peace. And one day, you will enter His rest. Until then, enjoy every season of this life and glorify His Name.

It’s autumn.
The winds of change are blowing.