Are you driving, exhibiting or flowing with the wind?

Living life to the fullest is about asking yourself the right questions and choosing the best vehicle to get you where you want to go, while enjoying the ride in the process.

We were made to flow with the wind and not to be propelled by energy. It doesn’t matter if you’re “southerner” or “greenneck”, it’s about learning to flow with the wind from your designer.

During a rare break from an intense three-day review of microfinance projects in the Dominican Republic, I sat on a beautiful Caribbean beach with my 12-year-old son. We sat in silence, both enjoying the serenity and beauty of a clean white beach and crystal clear waters. A lone sailboat glided effortlessly before us, carried gracefully by the wind and waves. Then, out of nowhere, a noisy and smoky speedboat came rushing to go nowhere. The driver and occupants were raucous, careless presenters, and an unwanted distraction. The contrast of the sailboat and the motorboat provided a teaching moment to share a life lesson with my son, my family and my friends.

I asked myself the question, in my life and my activities, am I more like the operator of the speedboat or the sailboat? Am I the driver, using God as my co-pilot on duty? Or have I aligned my life with His design and plan to be my pilot, so that I can flow in His wind with the grace and serenity that only He can bring into my life? I thought about how I was made to be His “sailor of the wind” and if I substituted anything less, it would rob God, me and others of the possibility of living life to the fullest. God provides “the wind, the sea, and the” wind sail “to realize my God-given potential. His love, peace, and presence come at the affordable price of my surrender to His designed purpose for my life.

We were not designed to be “speedboats” or drivers, the noisy thieves who steal, pollute, and displace God’s best for us. Unfortunately, all too often, it takes the “noise, pollution” and stress-filled “speedboat ride” to see the wisest “wind sail” option to flow in His wind. The wind, the sea and the sail are there for the taking, as are the lessons on how to optimize the adventure of living according to our designed purpose. The choice of the “wind sail” has served me well. I stress less, I look forward to the adventure and blessings of each new day, and I am learning to say “no” to say “yes” to the important things. Doing the right things and doing the right things produces the right relationships that forge a future with Hope and the sweet bliss of Her peace.

There is wisdom in flowing with the wind. Like the wind sail, there is also wisdom in the windmill. Looking out the window into the backyard, I see the face of a windmill made special because our grandchildren put it together with the help of dad and grandpa. It is a daily reminder of those precious treasures with all our best hopes and dreams for their future. That windmill sits in the middle of a beautiful garden cared for by a loving grandmother and grandfather. In the background is a green meadow lined with towering trees tuned by the breeze to sing a song of praise, and a bubbling stream to remind us of the Shepherd’s Psalm, where living water daily refreshes the heart and mind.

The face of the windmill wheel is bright and colorful. Quickly turn heads as the centerpiece of the backyard. The face is always turned towards the direction of the wind. With a little oil it turns effortlessly and silently without squeaking. It is firmly anchored to a solid and unbreakable oak stump. It can weather any storm. The last great gale only served to lift his face a little higher. Everything in view reflects the glory, goodness, and creation of the Lord.

That windmill turns every day obeying the voice of the wind. It reminds me of the “wind and oil” of the Spirit of God that invites us to keep our faces turned toward Him, so that we can know the power that flows from our obedience. This grandfather has discovered that alignment with my creator, redeemer, sustainer, and friend is important to experiencing His transforming power, love, and grace in my life. A life touched by His grace is not without power. His wind under my wings lifts my spirit above the worries of each day.

The incredible power of the wind can be harnessed to generate clean sources of energy to enhance the well-being of our lives and of others. In the same way, God’s inexhaustible, miracle-working power is available to us when we stop following our own path and choose to bring our faces into alignment with His designed purpose for our lives. It is this choice, not chance, that determines our destiny. The difference is that it is His power and not ours. Our choices determine our future both now and for all eternity. As the poet Robert Frost said: “I chose the road less traveled and that made the difference.”

Listen well and often to the message of God blowing in His Word – “wind” and trim your candle to be filled with His transforming power. “He makes the wind his messengers …” Psalm 104: 4. As we sail into our sunset, we can enjoy the journey, help others along the way, and reach the final destination of endless joy. The invitation is: “Come ‘Windsail’ with me on a great and glorious journey powered by the Source of all Wisdom and the Power behind the Wind. Come sail with me on His wind.”

“I have raised you up for this very purpose, to show you my power and for my name to be proclaimed throughout the earth.” Exodus 9:16 VIN http://designed4apurpose.wordpress.com/