The Swirling Wind

I find it fascinating to watch horses' behavior in various weather conditions. Recently, Ernie and I went camping on a rainy and unseasonably cold weekend. I never even rode my horse for the rain. In between downpours, I led my beleaguered horse from the picket line to a formidable patch of green grass. The gray clouds overhead signaled another dose of rain would soon come and return me to shelter. My Carhatt coat and rain slicker served as my protection from the elements. After about 10 minutes, the clouds unleashed another round of pellets in the form of rain. Interestingly, Ernie didn’t miss a single blade of grass as he pivoted his butt into the rain and the wind. It’s just what horses do. The rain didn’t bother him and surely wasn’t going to get in the way of his scrumptious afternoon snack.

On another occasion we were riding in the park. It was a beautiful summer day, bright sunshine and warm wind gusts stirred up the scents of the trees, flowers and a variety of weeds. I thought it a delightful day. Ernie, however, was on edge. Unlike the rainy day, this windy day stirred up seemingly frightening smells that caused him to flinch at the slightest movement or sound. His imagination was getting the best of him. He whinnied for his pasture mates, or even another horse, to no avail. The swirling of the wind took his peace away. Once the winds stilled, he stopped exaggerating the sounds he heard. The smells were no longer startling or coming from unknown directions. His peace returned once again.

Like the wind to a horse, busyness in our lives can steal our peace and keep us from hearing God and sensing his presence in our lives. The busier we become, the harder and harder it is to center ourselves on the God of Peace. Activity breeds stress. God relieves stress. A schedule busting with meetings, farrier appointments, soccer games and a child’s homework, makes our heads spin and crowds out our time for God. It causes us to focus on our circumstances and activity versus God's purpose for our circumstances and plan for our lives. It’s one of the enemy’s most prominent practices. Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “if the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”

Jesus was busy, too. But he realized the importance of unplugging and spending time with the Father. He often went away to pray. In Matthew 14:23, Jesus “went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.”

Are you exhausted from the rat race? Do you wonder when it will end? Do you wonder what the point might be of all the activity? What one activity can you eliminate from your calendar or to-do list today that will give you more time to spend with your Father? Once the swirl of activity calms in our lives, and we find our time with God, we will also find our peace.

Psalm 127:2 “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.”