Inhale, exhale… That was the first task of the day today – fully aware of my lungs expanding, oxidizing my vitals and limbs, truly in the now and awakened to all the possibilities. I then ventured on a borrowed, echo- friendly, two wheeled chariot (yes, a bike! Give a guy some artistic freedom here…sheesh) to the beach-front and worked attentively to absorb the suns emission, its essence on my face, its fire on my unprotected insipid skin – enjoying the much needed and intentional burn. The work-related account concerning my voyage home begins with a head-on wind. It was unruly, yet like a Wiseman who had traveled around the world in pursuit of knowledge and wisdom, it whispered in my ear.
The work was not in my attempt to peddle my weight against the wind; the struggle was listening intently to what the wind was saying. The wind, much like other of nature’s elements, is quite a logophiliac (lover of words) - full of stories of where it came from and where it is going, ruthlessly unyielding, yet musically bending to maneuver around each obstacle in its way, or if need be, force its way right through it; personality plus, this wind was shamelessly directional. The conversation came across more like an inquisition from the wind. He whispered, “Where did you come from?” And again, “Where are you going?” – Two questions that I could tell the wind asked with confidence of his own life. I knew the answer to the first question, it came to my mind quickly, but full of convoluted details that I knew the wind wouldn’t wait around to hear and even the thought of sharing such detail exhausted me more than the peddling, a frustration I just knew I was suppose to feel.
I rapidly moved on to the second question, “Where are you going,” and whispered back underneath my bike helmet and breath, “I don’t know.” It was as if I could feel a gust of wind smile and say, “that’s exactly where I’m going too.” Then he continued, “All the storms in my past have collectively determined where I am now and my continual pursuit into the unknown, which will become known, I’m sure of it, because all that I know now was once unknown.” He paused as if he wanted to be sure I was listening and following along with his gust of logic. Then he shouted, deafening my ability to hear the traffic around me, “Don’t fear the unknown! I don’t. It’s where you’re going and it’s where you’re meant to be.”
I only wish that at that very moment, out of the blue, all the band members of the old rock group Kansas were riding bikes next to me singing, “Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind…” It would have made a great music video and finale to my conversing with the wind. Honestly now, I thought about how confidently and powerfully the wind moved toward his own personal unknown. I envied that, in a good way, desiring to proceed ahead in my life with the same gusto, so to speak, embracing the unknown.
I promise I’m not going crazy. The Bible (a theological transition is most appropriate to prove my sanity at this point) speaks of trees clapping their hands and rocks crying out in praise and adoration to their creator. I feel at home listening to the wind, the wave, the sun, and the moon. They all have a story to tell, a daily lesson to impart, a new impression to make – and wow are they informative.
In our culture it takes a lot of effort to listen intently to these elements, nature’s quality staff of instructors – to quiet one’s noisy surroundings and internal squabbles to hear real wisdom, finding truth under a rock that thousands of men have stumbled over for centuries. It makes a man wonder about all the great instruction and guidance he’s driven past, flown over, and walked by over the years, all in pursuit of something more complex, more successful, more profitable, more spiritual or extraordinary. What could be bigger or better than the very dirt under our feet (our original DNA)? Who could be wiser than the rudiments of our environment that have survived all the kings and kingdoms of the earth?
It’s interesting. I began my day working hard to completely take in the experience of the wind in my lungs, only later to encounter a whistling, whispering wind’s inquisition. Hmmm
I think tomorrow I will sit under the tutelage of some lilies and birds of the air and see what they will have to teach me. I have a feeling it will have a lot to do with my struggle of feeling neglect of Divine provision. I think I’m going to get a strong talk’n to from some flowers and birds..hehehe. Oh well, I’d prefer that than the normal calls from bill collectors and collection agencies right now. Bring on the flowers and the birds… I know they’ve met my windy friend.
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