Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: INSOUCIANT (06/02/16)
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TITLE: The Gentlest Breeze | Previous Challenge Entry
By Judy Sauer
06/09/16 -
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Can we relate to the feather’s free and easy lifestyle—not bogged down by human constraints to control the outcome of life events? Not usually. Although the feather is an inanimate object, it is energized by the wind.
Because God has given us free will, he calls us to choose his ways. We may wrestle with our need to control what happens to us. We can ask ourselves, “What one thing prevents us from being as free as a feather?”
What else but letting go…
To let go and allow the Holy Spirit to flow through us is to experience a peaceful delight, for God wants us to be calm and at ease¯not tense from the day’s worries or fears.
The analogy below explains the struggle of hanging on versus the freedom from letting go.
Imagine grabbing a handful of sand, and squeezing it tight. You don’t want to let any slip away. It’s a precious, tangible item, so you squeeze even tighter to not let it slip from your hand. Yet you do not see it seeping through the tiniest cracks traveling past your curled knuckles, and clenched fist. Is your hand getting tired of holding on for dear life? Mine is.
Turn your hand over, with the palm side up. Open your hand. What a relief from the stress of hanging on too tight. Your hand is relaxed, and the sand is staying still. You experience serene peace when letting go.
Jesus compared the Holy Spirit to the wind while he was talking to Nicodemus, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8 (NIV).
The Holy Spirit patiently awaits us to recognize him, interacting with us in various ways¯like nudges, soft whispers, audible sounds¯which we may too easily chalk up as intuition or instincts.
The Holy Spirit is near us day and night, as our constant companion and helpmate in life¯ready to answer our cries for help. When we let go of the things that make us anxious, we are better equipped to receive the gifts he wants to give us.
Be the feather. Ease up, and delight in life’s random, carefree twists and turns. Hanging on too long just makes us tired.
Let go and be ready, for the Spirit is calling. We never know where life will lead us, but God does. It is hard to let go of our need to control situations, but unless we let go, we miss out on the many wonderful experiences within God’s plans for our lives.
Look for feathers that fly around at whim. These soft and effortless examples inspire us to “Let go, and let God,” so allow yourself to catch the updrafts within the gentle breezes of the Holy Spirit.
“After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.” 1 Kings 19:12 (NASB)
Non-fiction
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The image of a feather carried by the breeze is impressed upon my mind.
Thank you for sharing your gift.
I felt more relaxed after reading it; I just kept envisioning the feather.