Clearing a spot I sat down on a frigid, metal bench in a buried garden beneath an evergreen, its branches laden with white. In silence I watched as powdery flakes fell from the heavens, some brushing my exposed cheeks with a cold, wintry kiss. Freezing, yet strangely content, I pondered.In the spring, rain showers water the ground encouraging growth. Summertime thunderstorms bring relief from the heat, even if briefly, and bring hope to the dry, parched earth.
The ocean inspires awe and wonder at the life it contains, its power and its enormity. Rivers flow bringing refreshment, renewal and a place to sate your thirst. Lakes and ponds provide a safe haven to wildlife and also a great place to sit with a few wriggling worms, a fishing pole and bare feet.
Then there is winter, where water crystalizes. Whether in the form of ice or snow, it is cold and can be rugged. Yet there is a profound beauty in this wintry harshness as it covers all that is dirty and ugly, leaving behind fresh layers that sparkle and shine in the light making all things seem new. It is in this wonderland that our senses both yearn for and repel what is before them.
It seems to me the work of the Holy Spirit is much the same way. Sometimes He comes to us gently to refresh our weary souls. Other times He comes like a wave of power.
Then there are times when the Spirit comes and it is beautiful but goes against our comfort. His handiwork is both alluring and seemingly dangerous.
Will we choose to watch the Spirit fall from the comfort of our warm home or brave the uncomfortable for a touch of His hand and discover the wonder that lies therein?
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:9-11
