Coming around the corner, I drove to the edge of my driveway when a sound caught my attention. A sudden gust of wind quickly stirred and it was as if an army of rattling leaves encircled me waving timelessly in flight. Almost a sheer delight went right through me and I wondered in my little girl heart where the leaves were going? Shortly, their sweet little waltz left me alone scurrying loudly towards an unknown destination. “But I wanna go too, “ my heart whispered.

 

I glanced upward to see a dark cloud brewing and the rain began to pelt feverishly upon my windshield. It wasn’t a harsh rain by any means. It was simply a quick shower that seemed to move in a bit unexpectedly.

 

I slowed down and seemed to understand there was more to this than meets the eye… huh, Lord?

 

My heart leapt as it pondered that Christ was blowing in the newness that had recently been promised. His ever kind words had sparked a brilliant hope of a coming year that would bring much restoration and rebuilding. Years now I had been waiting to see His hand cause areas of drought to flourish and flowers still left limp to bloom.

 

The leaves left few signs of their visit, except those torn stragglers left behind to wait the next wind. Each served as a sweet reminder of their passing and the promise that the Spirit indeed blows where it wants.

 

A sudden visit from on high is often masqueraded in such ordinary things that truly are extraordinary. Yet, our humanness has tainted His lovely ways of speaking. It’s exhilarating to understand He calls the wind out of the storehouse and His mere command sends this unseen friend to move all around us blessing us gently with a soft brush of His hand.

 

I could not shake the thought that “it”had come…He had come… and brought “it” with Him. He was ushering in something. A call was going out. The trumpet was blowing in the Heavens. He was awakening voices to their destiny. “It” had come as He said it would. The appointed time had arrived on the wings of the wind.

 

The old, dead leaves were whisked away off the trees now making room for the new. Often, without us knowing, the old keeps draining all the nutrients of life meant for us by that which is fresh in a new season. Old is not new and new is not old, yet, we try to mix the two and get dreadfully left with old wineskin. Weary and worn we long for the new, yet, mourn the old so much we cling to it until it’s literally smothering us. He’s patiently, yet passionately crying, “Let go!”

 

There can not be a new beginning without the end of a thing and oh Lord , please do strip the tree bear should it hinder your fresh work in us.

 

With one blast of wind….it was gone. Just like that. The old had gone… I could feel it….the new had come. “ Do you not perceive it?”

 

With a shake of my head, I gave a little grin as I shut the car door and took a quick look back to the yard. A sense of freedom made its way into my heart and I slowly walked into the house.

 

Shutting the door behind me, I took a deep breath as we silently spoke to one another and I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt, tomorrow would be a brand new day.

 

January 11, 2017