WINDS OF CHANGE

winds of changeIt was the perfect Sunday afternoon, the weather beginning to cool nicely. The yoke of humidity gave way as the sun surrendered to the turn of the earth. The tardy wind finally arrived showing its invisible force that I’d hoped would have shown up hours earlier.

How I cherished the reprieve from the onslaught of the never ending summer. The cooler breezes grew bolder without the supervision of the sun, it blew gusts that turned the darkening night from relief to dread. I’ve been haunted by wind… Winds of change can be full of deceit, it can also bring remorse of seasons past.

I ponder the dreams spun by the winds of change that I bent to blow the direction of my heart and accented by the tired drapes playing a background cantata while I fell for the deceptive web spun by the false winds…  They were appealing to the hope I had for mankind based solely upon the power I possessed and my happily ever after.

Not all change is good… Handcrafted fabric that makes up new drapes can be stunning, but the smart decorating doesn’t change the window of the view. Switching locations blown by the winds of change can alter the view, the size of the window, along with the amenities, but that doesn’t change the person behind the eyes that swim in the trust and luxury of the finer things in  life.

We even work to make our soul cages and the things we dress it up in match the expectations of our society. Designer shoes, belts to match, maybe a pair of jeans with just the right name on the tag. The right hairstyle, jewelry and, of course, the vehicle that keep the Jones’ on their toes.

Like the homes of the stars, it doesn’t matter how spectacular they look on the outside. The perfect architecture and manicured grounds with exquisite curb appeal fail to reveal anything past the window coverings. We can move from the wrong side of the tracks to the mansion on the hill, but what we possess has no indication of who we are behind the drapes.

If the powerful winds of change don’t start on the inside and we buy into the lies of this fallen world, it won’t matter what size windows we have or how fancy the drapes are that flank them. The dread of seasons past reminds us of the wisdom gained along the way.

Dread turns to joy in the midst of life’s storms when we remember the most precious of gifts in this life. The items of intrinsic value can’t be measured by numbers and while drapes flapping in the wind can remind us of dreaded seasons and years eaten by the locust, it can also remind us of the sweet taste and fulfillment of redemption brought by the winds of change as directed by the Hands that are the origin of our souls and the wind.

It’s the season to throw open the windows and let the brisk wind blow through to remind us that our Father uses the winds of change for His glory and our benefit when we’re not hiding behind the drapes of this life in hopes of concealing what can’t be hidden from Him to begin with.