| I awoke from a sound sleep to the sound of the gentle waves lapping against the side of our ship. I had fallen asleep to the sound of our small motor, but couldn’t hear it now. I went up on deck to see why the motor had stopped and was told that we were out of fuel. So there we sat, miles from any land with nothing to propel us. I walked around the large deck of this ship; it seemed so ornate and so spotless and perfect. Looking up, I noticed something that I had just taken for granted for so long…it was a mast. Somewhere in my memory I remembered a time when we would raise our sail and the wind would move us. I went to the captain and said, “Why don’t we use the sail?” The captain replied that it had been years since we had used the sail. The reason we had stopped was because it was too hard to control where the ship was going. For years now we had used a vastly undersized motor to move this great ship, but its direction was easily controlled. We thought that we no longer needed the wind. I closed my eyes and in my mind I could see the mighty sail filled and the ship moving gracefully and quickly through the water. Wherever the wind would take us, we were willing to go. There we sat waiting, no longer able move on our own power, but still not ready to let the wind guide us. tsf |
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| Holy Spirit, wind and flame,
Move within my mortal frame. Make our hearts an altar pyre; Kindle them with your own fire. Breathe and blow upon that blaze till our lives, our deeds, and ways speak that tongue which every land by your grace shall understand. ----- Karl Barth |
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| The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. John 3:8 |
| Our life is like a sailboat and it is our job simply to raise the sail. Then we let the wind blow the boat wherever the wind wants to blow it. We don't try to control the wind, we just keep the sail up in the air to catch it.
The wind in this metaphor is the Holy Spirit. If we are faithful and attuned to God through his Son Jesus he will be faithful to guide us in the direction he wants for us. The problem is that too often we try and determine the direction we'll go. Sometimes we need to just sit back and let God's Spirit direct us instead of fussing and trying to do it all ourselves. Our greatest desire should be to unfurl the sail of our heart and watch it fill up with the Holy Wind of God and be drawn in his direction, at his speed, in his power. We can't even begin to draw near to God without the Spirit's help. Which means that in our very effort to draw near to him, he has already drawn near to us. But that does not negate the promise at all: it remains true that if we draw near to God, he will draw near to us! Lift your sails into the Holy Wind of God, and he will fill them. |
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| I Watched
Please Remember The Lighthouse She Falls There is My Father If Only I Had My Baby’s Eyes Two Men The Gap This Day He Walked Between the Rows Revolutionary Perspective Welcome Home You Are Faithful I Remember Walls Enter In The Little Lamb The Sail Where the Blood Fell The World at My Doorstep Another Day at the Office The Valley Another Second Chance I Want to Fly The poems on this website were written by my husband. I pray that the Lord will speak to you through them. **Feel free to share these poems with others. We only ask that you leave the TSF at the end of each and that you place a link to our website (http://www.geocities.com/shout_2_the_lord) with it. Thanks. |
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| The word spirit in both Hebrew and Greek means "breath" or "wind." Both a breath of air and a breeze are appropriate images for the Holy Spirit.
Consider several properties of the wind: 1. Wind is moving air, and this fresh air is needed continually for life itself. Even seeds often require wind for their dispersal and subsequent growth. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is the presence of God, the source for all life. 2. Wind has no material shape or form. It is invisible; we cannot see the source or the destination of wind. It is a mysterious, unseen force. Nevertheless, its presence is known by its effects. Likewise, the unseen Holy Spirit can be experienced in a refreshing way. His presence is displayed in the work he does in human lives by transforming, sanctifying, encouraging, and teaching. 3. Wind is a powerful force. It cannot be stopped or controlled by people. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is not subject to human control. The moving of the Holy Spirit is God at work. 4. There is great variety in the wind. It may be a soft whisper gently rustling the leaves on the trees, or it may be a hurricane uprooting trees. A sailboat without a sail is only driftwood. It is completely dependent upon the wind for its direction and progress. Every morning, before you open your eyes or get out of bed, go to God in prayer. Boldly raise your sail of faith to catch God's sweet Holy Spirit. Ask God to direct your navigation in uncharted waters—come to Him thankfully, willingly, humbly, and absolutely convinced that He is going to propel you in the right direction. The wind is strong—you need only to rightly position your sail for strength and speed. Throughout the day continue to ask Him to direct you. Leave your sails up, and let the Holy Spirit guide your boat. Whenever you feel weary, remember Christ's invitation, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28). God will guide your boat and help you weather all storms. Bring to Him any concerns you have, and leave them with Him as you sail toward the destination God has charted for you. |
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| Copyright © 2006 Country Home Designs |
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| The Sail |
| ORIGINAL POETRY |
| The Wind and a Sailboat |
| Our Life Like a Sailboat |