When you think of a storm, out of all the elements it consists of the wind can be the most damaging. Hurricane winds cause waters to move with such rapid speed that they destroy everything in their path. A fire with no wind is easier to contain than a fire being driven forward by the wind. Tornadoes cause houses to be lifted from their foundations and vehicles to fly through the air as if they were mere sheets of paper. When I was a child in elementary school, I saw a film about tornadoes. In the film, there was a scene where a pencil was driven straight through a tree due to the force of the wind.
The wind can take your breath away when you are facing it. It can also push you back when you are trying to make forward progress. However, the wind can also be so mild that it is called a breeze. This breeze is what I speak of when I say, "There is beauty in the wind."
I used to be a customer service representative for a third party health insurance administrator. The customer service line I worked at the time was geared toward helping college and university students understand their health insurance benefits. I also answered questions regarding the status of medical claims filed by doctors on the students' behalf.
These calls were literally non-stop and often very tedious. I dealt with all types of students and their parents - not all of them had a meek spirit.
One day in particular had been extremely stressful. I was full of anger from being cursed at, fatigued from being overworked, depressed because I did not see a way out, and frustrated because the department was short-staffed. It was next to impossible to take a break. On top of that, not all of the members of the customer service team carried their own weight. Needless to say, I could not wait to take the hour-long lunch I had coming to me.
Winter was just beginning to set in, but the sun was shining. While at the printer picking up a document I needed to scan and e-mail to a plan member, I glanced outside and saw the tree branches gently swaying. Tears pricked my eyes and my nose began to sting. I fought back the tears because I wanted to save them for after I opened the gift God was dangling in front of me. I could hear His voice in my spirit saying, "Just hold on a little longer, Sweetie. I have something special just for you."
Well, 12:30 rolled around. I grabbed a blanket I kept for cool days in the office from my desk drawer and headed outside to the sitting/smoking area. I prayed there would be no one there. I had never been a smoker and definitely did not want to be a talker that day.
When I got there, God had answered my prayer. As I sat (alone) in one of the resin chairs, I closed my eyes and let the wind just wash over me. I smiled inside and out as I allowed God to blow away the poison that had built up inside me. All the frustration, anger, fatigue, and depression I felt earlier was replaced by peace, love, hope, and gratitude to God for all He provided for me.
The breath of God (the breeze) washed over me and through me as I sat there basking in His love. The tears I had held in at the printer left their trail of relief as they ran down my cheeks. I felt the heaviness seeping from my body with each tear that flowed.
I was so lost in the sweet release, I did not hear a coworker approaching. She asked me what was wrong. I explained to her that there was nothing wrong. I was just enjoying the wind.
Her response was, "I hate when the wind blows. It makes the air so cold this time of year."
I looked at her and slowly shook my head while asking, "Don't you know there is beauty in the wind? It's God's way of blowing away the dirty and bringing in the fresh."
I will never forget that day. It's the day the breath of God kissed my ouchie.
Simply Beautiful, Sheila... Thank you for sharing.
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