The wind is a strong and steady breeze and at times gusts to a moderate gale. It’s June and the trees have an entire canopy of leaves that catch the full force of the wind. Their limbs shudder and bend with each assault. My grandmother would call a day like this “busy”; everything is in motion.
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I love the way the trees move and sway. The larger conifers at the back of the yard move in a rocking motion like the elderly at a dance. The movement of the nearby Honey Locust, with its multiple narrow half-inch leaves, creates a smooth and whipping motion. It reminds me of a young girl’s hair as she races by on horseback.
There are a lot of things racing by. The bright red petals of the poppies detach from their stalks and flame across the lawn. The small dried flowers of the lilac pepper the air so that you can’t tell the difference between them and the sudden spray of sand chafing the face. And the paper litter from the neighbor’s yard races with the cars down the road.
Most of the smaller birds are hiding in the shrubs, clutching onto branches for dear life. Even the brave and defiant hummingbirds that venture out are flying low. A few birds, like grackles and robins shoot across the sky like unguided rockets, a tumble of wings and feathers.
Higher up, above the treetops the larger birds brave the forceful currents more skillfully. They face into the wind, swooping and ascending, with wings extended and feathers spread wide. Managing the fullness of each new gust they glide in a dance with an invisible partner. I imagine that if beaks could smile, theirs would in utter joy.
The wind like the Will of God can carry us aloft. We learn how to float in a dance with our partner. And sometimes hold fast to the Lord when the currents of the Spirit are beyond our human understanding. But when we gain the confidence to embrace God’s Will, our lives will seem as a grace filled waltz. And oh, how we can rejoice in that powerful holy dance. Swooping and ascending like the angels, we are caught up in the movement and presence of our God.
