God's wind...

"I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth" (Isa. 58:14).

Those who fly through the air in airships tell us that one of the first rules they learn is to turn their ship toward the wind, and fly against it. The wind lifts the ship up to higher heights. Where did they learn that? They learned it from the birds. If a bird is flying for pleasure, it goes with the wind. But if the bird meets danger, it turns right around and faces the wind, in order that it may rise higher; and it flies away towards the very sun.

Sufferings are God's winds, His contrary winds, sometimes His strong winds. They are God's hurricanes, but, they take human life and lift it to higher levels and toward God's heavens.

You have seen in the summer time a day when the atmosphere was so oppressive that you could hardly breathe? But a cloud appeared on the western horizon and that cloud grew larger and threw out rich blessing for the world. The storm rose, lightning flashed and thunder pealed. The storm covered the world, and the atmosphere was cleansed; new life was in the air, and the world was changed.

Human life is worked out according to exactly the same principle. When the storm breaks the atmosphere is changed, clarified, filled with new life; and a part of heaven is brought down to earth. --Selected

Obstacles ought to set us singing. The wind finds voice, not when rushing across the open sea, but when hindered by the outstretched arms of the pine trees, or broken by the fine strings of an Aeolian harp. Then it has songs of power and beauty. Set your freed soul sweeping across the obstacles of life, through grim forests of pain, against even the tiny hindrances and frets that love uses, and it, too, will find its singing voice. --Selected

"Be like a bird that, halting in its flight,
Rests on a bough too slight.
And feeling it give way beneath him sings,
Knowing he hath wings."
~Streams in the Desert

We all face obstacles in this life...I know I do.  It seems several times a day even.  But, I have learned to "find my singing voice." I have learned to cry out to God and tell Him just how I feel about those obstacles, but then after that, I stop and listen.  Ryan has come back from Haiti with a different view at life.  He says these "obstacles" we face in our lives are merely distractions to the bigger picture.  We get distracted with arguments, finances, family disputes, etc and it takes our focus off His work.  

We are trying to overcome the obstacles in our life and not let them be a distraction to His work.  I know obstacles are given by Him to prepare us, teach us, and help us grow.  So we understand that these obstacles are necessary, but are not to distract, but are to help build.  I pray everyone enjoys their day today.  It is snowing here again. :)  I am resting today and just watching the snow fall outside.  It's so pretty when it falls...