Tuesday - Second Week of Easter 

Gospel – John 3:7b-15

Blowing in the Wind

Sea of Galilee

It’s been a week of unusual weather lately!  Tornados in Tennessee and across the Midwest!  Heavy rain, flooding and even snow here in the Windy City!  As much as I have lived here for over 50 years, I don’t think I will ever get used to the weather, especially the wind which whips around every corner and threatens to knock you off your feet if you aren’t careful. It serves as a reminder to us that, even though you can hear the wind, even though you can feel it, you just can’t control it.

Jesus says much the same thing in today’s Gospel when He continues to chat with Nicodemus.  “The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Too often we think we are in charge, that we control any and everything.  Too often, we are completely wrong.  We are uncomfortable when we don’t know what’s going on; we feel powerless.  We think we should be able to direct every aspect of our lives and that we know what’s best for us.  But Jesus reminds us today that is not the case.  Yes, we do feel and hear the wind; but we don’t control it.  We don’t even know where it comes from and where it is going.  That wind for us is the Spirit, the Spirit of God.  We have to learn to let go and let God!  Let the Spirit take us where it wills.  We have to learn to trust and surrender ourselves to the Spirit. 

Ginger and I are at the point where we have had to engage some extra help to care for her parents.  Needless to say, we were very nervous about strangers sitting with Mom and Dad in our absence.  So imagine our delight (and her parents) when the caregivers turned out to be familiar faces, people we had worked with before and who both had a personal connection with her parents.  I wish you could have seen the smiles on their faces when they walked in the room! 

Trust in the Spirit!  Lay your worries aside!  Step aside and let the Spirit work.  We are all filled with the Spirit through Baptism and Confirmation.  But we have to learn to stop and listen, to stop and let the Spirit speak to us, guide us, and work through us.   

Be well!  Be safe, everyone!

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