The Winds of Change

The West Wind

The west wind blows,

unseen but felt it goes.

Trees bend before its power.

Fields of grass and corn bend this way and that.

Winds of change blow through our lives.

Like the trees, we bend and sway.

Like the wind unseen,

we often bend to wills unseen,

manipulated by forces unknown,

this way and that 

to almost daily changing fads.

Trees grasp and hold,

we too must root ourselves secure.

Wind of the spirit blow into me,

renew and strengthen

that I might hold.

To face the many storms of life

that blows my way.

The winds of Change

"He makes the clouds his chariot and rides the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants."

Psalm: 104: 3-4

We all have an ability for getting ourselves into difficult situations that can often take a great amount of effort to extricate ourselves from. I have times in my life when I feel like a walking accident zone, ready for the next mistake. I have met many that seem to carry with them a self-destruct button that they give the occasional push.

I recall a time when I was facing some very difficult situations and took to the hills to try and clear my mind and find a positive outcome. It was a fairly calm day with a gentle breeze, the sun was shining and the hills seemed to shimmer in its glow. As I followed the track upwards, I saw on the summit two trees standing close to each other. Both were bent and leaning as if pointing to the east. From their shape and size, they looked like Hawthorn trees. It was obvious that here on this hill the prevailing wind was a west wind, frequently powerful and often destructive. Yet these two trees held on no matter how hard it had blown. Unlike myself, as I reached the trees I became very aware of the presence of the wind as it tried to blow me from my feet.

Yet these two trees stood bent but firm, firmly grounded and rooted to the spot.

Here is a parody of modern life. We are constantly being persuaded to take up the next life-changing plan. Follow this and your life will be wonderful. A short time later another scheme comes our way and some celebrity tries to persuade us to change yet again. 

It is true that life does need some movers and shakers or it would be static and soon become meaningless. That said, we also need to be rooted in something that gives us some sense of security and base of purpose rather than becoming lost and wandering souls.

Some would call this their faith while others, they're inner being. Whatever it is we need to find something in life that keeps us rooted and secure. This sense of a grounding can be our rock in times of difficulty. A solid foundation that gives us support.

A man wandered for years to find the sage he had been told would give him the gift of happiness and purpose. He searched and searched until he, at last, found the one he had sought. When he asked the sage to fulfil his quest,  the sage looked at him and smiled, "You come all this way searching for that which will only be found within yourself."  We must find and create within ourselves the quiet valleys protected from the winds of every changing notions and ideas. Before rushing this way and that we should secure ourselves firmly with some sense of purpose and meaning that fits our being, not always trying on the garments of others.