Without Effort

Last week I enjoyed my quiet time on the tiny deck of a Florida Condo. Every morning, as I faced the Atlantic Ocean, I watched sea birds flittering through the mangrove forests edging Key Largo. On Thursday, a weather disturbance brought heavy winds from the south. What I witnessed reminded me of a passage in Isaiah:

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

I first noticed a bird floating above the ocean. Paying closer attention, I realized that the bird didn’t flap her wings. Instead, she glided, effortlessly soaring above the trees. I expected that she would have to flap for adjustments in altitude and direction. I waited, and waited, and waited. She didn’t. For what seemed endless moments, she soared.  As I thought about the science of lift and the design of airplane wings, I realized that she had put herself directly into the path of the prevailing wind. The wind gave her lift. No flapping, no jet engine needed for forward propulsion.

What seemed so remarkable was that the bird didn’t stay in one place. She made progress. Effortlessly, though gradually, she used the power of the wind to propel her down the coastline.

The wind didn’t stop her. It wasn’t an obstacle for her. It was a tool, an asset, an energy saver. She used the wind to move forward.

Today is the day that we remember Jesus’ death. Those who witnessed his crucifixion had no clue as to what would come next. For them, it was the end, the destruction of their most precious hope, their future, all gone in a single extinguished heartbeat.

But they waited.

And then came Sunday. And the resurrection. And the understanding. And the hope.

If you are facing a tough prevailing wind, remember those Florida sea birds. And remember what it must have been to wait through that dark Easter weekend. If those first Jesus-lovers could wait it out, so can you. Then perhaps you too will see that the wind, which seemed so harsh, so destructive, so hope-dashing, is the very thing that will lift you up on wings like Eagles. Jesus death and resurrection (we cannot have one without the other) became the wind power moving Christianity through the centuries.

Happy Friday. I wait with you for Sunday Morning.

Bette

 

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