Thursday, March 3, 2011

Which type are you?


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

Today I am continuing my thoughts and reflections from John 3. Yesterday I came to rest on this section of verse 8: "you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." I stopped....... It seems that Jesus is saying here that I have to be ready at a moments notice to go where He sends, where He leads. This verse was somewhat convicting to me.......I am not crazy about spontaneity, I only like planned change, when I decide!


I am a person who likes to dig in, settle down, burrow in, put down roots. I don't like uprooting, moving, or picking up stakes. I lived in my hometown for the first 30 years of my life. Then I moved to two different states.....but I wasn't crazy about it. I did it for work. I am a long term person, I was at my first job for 14 years, and the one I have presently for 15. If I were a vegetable I think I would be a potato, very comfortable and secure in my warm happy place until final harvest. It takes a lot to make me move!
 
When I was a kid, whenever we would come across a dandelion that had gone to seed we just had to blow it. That is just what we did. We didn't have all the sophisticated games we have now so we had to invent our own. The challenge was to not leave one seed attached left after just one puff.......I was thinking how this relates to God and me and John 3:8. The Holy Spirit, working in me will blow those seeds onto whomever I am rooted next to. Sometimes He needs to help me along by a powerful gust, and sometimes He needs to do something drastic and rip me out by the roots and blow me another direction. This can be a very painful process......and yet, I can see why it is necessary.
 
The truth is, God needs both kinds of people, movers and shakers, and those who like to stay put. He is able to work equally well with both types of personalities. Sometimes I beat myself up for not being more willing to move, to go where He sends, and I am sure others beat themselves up for not being more stable, for always bolting at the next opportunity. He works patiently with each of us, in all of our glorious individuality moving us this way and that.

I think the key is to be open.......to listen with an open heart, to hear and obey when He speaks. To be ready. And He won't hate me if I don't, He will lovingly keep prodding me along.

I think a good writing project would be to describe what kind of vegetable you are and why?

2 comments:

  1. Following the wind of the Holy Spirit means every day. It may be to get up and witness in church. It may be to visit a friend or to walk over to a stranger. It may be to write a blog or phone someone. It may be to mail out a spiritual promotion or to pass out a Bible or a tract. Life is exciting following the wind of the Spirit. We stumble on his divine appointments. Every chat, every touch, every hug counts! Love, Bill

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bill: Yes, Bill.....it is like the best kind of adventure, just think what we miss when we don't follow His leading. I really love your thoughts and you are right, "We stumble on His divine appointment" you need to write that one down, my friend! Lori

    ReplyDelete

Make my day, leave a comment!