Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Fluttering on the Wind

"The Wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit..."

Dearest friends,
One of my favorite place to hang out at the Village of Joy in Pemba is the prayer hut in the midst of this incredibly beautiful garden. This hut has a 360-degree view of landscape and ocean, and sets a stage for some amazing sunrise views too. I love praying—it’s what I was born for; communion with the King—and I love the spectacular views of the ocean; but this simple hut called Bethel (house of God) is my favorite place of all because of the WIND…

Throughout the last two years, I’ve spent nearly a year living in Pemba…I’ve experienced the hot season and the hotter season…during both, WIND is a blessing. Not only does it cool, but it it also makes it harder for mosquitoes to fly. In all the places on our base, the ONE place that without fail has some sort of wind, or light breeze, is our house of prayer. It is almost as if to show the tiniest glimpse of His omnipotence and omnipresence to His sons and daughters crying out day and night in the midst of a wilderness that He is there.

I am rather fond of the Wind. I love how it cools my house in Pemba, I love how it sounds when it blows against objects in the midst of stronger gusts, and I love that I can imagine how many colors must float on its wings in every season--winter, summer, fall and spring. I love that the wind is my reminder that the omniscient God is really ever present leading me joyously and spontaneously through this crazy little adventure called life! It is the wind of His Spirit that beckons me, carrying me on the wings of His love, leading me where He wishes…

Mozambique: The Memory of my heart—
When I made the decision to go to Africa, two years ago, and with each subsequent trip back, I fully thought I would be living my life there. I thought that Pemba, Mozambique would be home—and the “west” would be the distant memory that I would visit from time to time. But, as the wind blows where it wishes…I have returned to California—My Mozambican home, it seems for a time, will now be the memory in my heart that I get to eagerly await to revisit when the Wind blows me back!

The theme is the Wind—Spirit

I can relate to Jesus’ statement in John 3: though I may hear the sound of the Wind, I might not know where it will blow me “next.” I am daily learning to trust the Divine leadership of the Spirit of God fully convinced He knows where He’s going—It may at times look like a whirlwind that drops out of nowhere, or a steady breeze that blows the sails of a boat, or there may be a sudden stop and movement is not possible—the flag won’t fly and the sail falls lifeless—Is it the sail’s fault it cannot blow in the wind? What an absurd question don’t you think? Sometimes the wind just stops and the boat captain is forced to make a decision in order to move his ship. In Mozambique, many of the fisherman boats have sails, and if the wind stops, most of these boats will sink, not float. So the captain must decide on a plan of action...Does he wait for the wind again, or does he paddle to shore? Maybe the wind has shifted direction? Or perhaps it is time for him to return to shore to get a new boat?

For a season the Wind was blowing my life across the seas of missions in Mozambique; I am not the captain of my ship, but the Spirit of God is, and He sailed us to the West where He is now beginning to blow upon dreams in my heart that have been waiting for such a time as this…a sudden shift in wind direction can only mean…

It’s time for a NEW boat!

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