Let The Winds Blow.

Have you ever seen a tornado? I’m guessing most people have, whether on TV or in person. The strength and power that these massive twisters display overwhelm me. When I was little, a tornado tore through a town close to where I lived and my mom took me down to see what the damage was. It was horrifying as I drove by houses that were now piles of rubble, trees deformed and ripped apart like string cheese, and families cleaning up the place that they use to call home. After that day, the tornado siren would send my heart into quick little flutters and I would hide either under my bed, or in the closet. Thankfully and by the grace of God I am over my fear of storms and love to listen to the thunder roll and the rain pitter-pat upon my window.

Sunday, I got the privilege to attend one of my best friend’s church, Living Stone Fellowship. We sang a song during worship that read these words:

Awake, awake o north wind,
Awake awake o south wind
Blow over me
Come o winds of testing
Come winds of refreshing
Blow over me
Fling wide the door to my soul
Open up the door to my heart
Have your way, have your way
Have your way yeah
I won’t be afraid
I will face the wind
I won’t be afraid
I'll embrace the flame
Take me through the fire
Take me through the rain
Take me through the testing
I’ll do anything
Test me try me prove me refine me
Like to gold, like to gold

My friend’s mom got up and used the illustration of a tornado as some of the stuff that we may have going on in our life. And you know what, she was right. Sometimes it does feel like there is a giant tornado above my head tearing at my life. The thing however that God showed me was that it is like the song says, there will be winds of testing and they may be hard but God uses them for his refining of our life.

Right now I have a huge tornado in my life and some days I feel like I could be completely blown away by it. We can not get rid of this hovering heaviness of a storm out of our lives by ourselves. We can try all we want to hide it, ignore it, or tame it, but all these acts will end with no results. Matthew 19: 26 says, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” You want to know how to get rid of this ever pressing tornado? Open up your arms wide and give it to God. This sounds absolutely mad when you think about someone standing in front of an actual tornado with their arms flung wide open, but this is what we have to do because we simply can’t do it on our own. This is exactly the place where it becomes hardest for me and this is the thing I need to pray for God’s help in doing.

I read something this morning in Mark 9 and it was when the father of the demon possessed son was asking Jesus to heal his child. He says, “But if you can do anything, take pity of us and help us.” How often do we say those words? ‘Lord if you’re really there…’ or ‘If you can help me Lord…’ Listen to Jesus’ response, “If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes.” Wow I would say that Jesus caught him. At this point the man immediately exclaims, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
There are so many times that we might pray only half heartedly and say things such as this man ‘If you can do anything’ but God is all powerful and can do all so why do we even ask these kinds of questions? “Everything is possible for him who believes” that is a promise from God. I do feel like I’m stuck in a swallowing tornado, but if I believe in Him, throw my hand out wide and become vulnerable, God will do the rest. Please pray for my unbelief and that God will give me the strength to let the winds blow and give the glory to Him.

Following my Obbession,
Lacey