“The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.”‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭1:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/ecc.1.6.esv

The winter of 1997 hit hard. Beginning in thanksgiving of 96 snow began to pile up, literally. We had just moved into our fixer upper in Iowa and thank goodness the snow hid all of the awful mess out in the yard 

When January and February blew in with several snowstorms, my husband got the bright idea to just stay in town and work overtime in his machining job. Fine for him, a warm house, hours of busy, amd the truck ride to and from work was only blocks away. However the girls and I were soon learning about conservation. 

The old fashioned ways of quilts over windows, doors shut and rooms blocked off from the heat source was the three day blizzard experience. The children at two and almost four years old do not remember the fear. Just the fun. Slumber party-as we all huddled together on the living room sofa with the sleeping bags zipped together. We wore snow pants during the day as the wind seemed to blow right through the house. 

All that I really remember is the three package video movies, the howling wind, and checking the furnace and the temperature on the house constantly. I was so worried we would run out of fuel or electricity. We managed to stay warm until Gavin arrived home behind the snowplow. The furnace stopped five minutes into his arrival. Next it was time to plow a path for the propane truck.  We had never been price gouged so badly in our entire life.  I wish I could be the company, but memory fails me on that one. 

So on the days that the wind blows 20-25 mph gusts from the southeast, my mind plays tricks on me. I really hate that sound. If I could live in a concrete bunker and never feel the wind, that would make me happy. 

Storms that rage within while  the blue skies send cottonball clouds sailing to the east are never a weatherman’s forecast. There are scripture verses that tell us these battles with unseen forces are real.  

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬ http://bible.com/59/eph.6.12.esv

I am not a fan of wrestling. I am neither interested in bygone battles and war hero books. Not a fan of books like the Harry Potter type. Not a fan of naval stories and not a fan of airplane crash survival stories. This verse therefore is not really one that prefers my focus. Rather a favorite amount children’s memory verses. Why should I even return to its words in this my alone-time?

Thinking about the “forces” that be on such a clear and beautify day, was not my plan. Fighting this mental emotional storm during my change of life was no choice of mine either. Knowing that there is more to this hurricane wind in my heart than flesh and blood reminds me that it takes more than muscle to fight the PTSD that wind sounds can cause.  It takes more than muscle to navigate the dark skies of the mind. 

More than muscle. 

Sometimes God’s mercy reaches right through our most bitter enemy and gives us a blessing. After my quiet time with these verses I felt a nudge to use my muscles and get that butterfly garden planted. While down at the greenhouse, a shadow fell across my path and there before me were the first of the sunflowers attempting to shade my greenhouse. My bitter enemy is the sun. For its rays are the bearers of the ultraviolet rays that damage my eyes. Yet this picture…  God is merciful. Of ten pictures with my eyes closed, one of them was perfect!

So as the storm rages on and my soul searches for which direction the wind might blow from next, I will look to Him who created the winds that drive our weather patterns. As the howling wolf-like wind threatens my mind, I will ask Him to send gentle cooling breezes. I will ask Him for spiritual muscles.  And I will paraphrase ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to *Yvonne Annette: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” http://bible.com/59/zec.4.6.esv

*italicized name is actually Zarubbabel. 

Oh Spirit of the Living God blow upon me.