Our great nephew who attends a university in the Twin Cities in Minnesota sent me a Greek word that he discovered. It is PNEUMA which translates as Spirit but what caught his imagination is that it also means wind.

So, I thought I would run with that. John 3:8 says, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear the sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” I once lead in retreat groups the song “There Is a New Wind Blowing.” Later I found out it was written by the music director at my aunt’s church in San Diego.

So as an exercise I will note where I have sensed that wind blowing in my life. In the 1950’s I took a position working with male juveniles who had been removed from their home by the juvenile court. Little did I realize the wind blowing that lead to a 59-year avocation in serving in that arena in a variety of venues, including chaplaincy in a maximum-security facility. This allowed for many opportunities to bring court and church youth together in a variety of outdoor settings.

Another example has been the variety of calls that I have accepted that brought me to six states and unique opportunities. I could not have accepted any of them if I had not clearly sensed the wind of the Spirit touching my life ever so gently.

That wind surprised me as I took a part time call after my first retirement. For 6 years each week a message evolved on my prayer walk and was memorized by Sunday. That wind stopped blowing when I retired a second time as no messages grew from that point on during my prayer walk. 

The fourth movement of the Spirit I have enjoyed is being a part of the beginning of Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic which has grown from the sharing of a need by a retired pediatrician to a Christian ministry that serves over 30,000 uninsured working poor. I call it a miracle of the wind of the Spirit blowing in the lives of a number of people. 

So be open to the refreshing, maybe risky winds of the Spirit blowing in your life. Who knows where that wind will take you!

[Used with permission, this is an installment from the author’s book, Aha Moments with the Bible now available on Amazon; all royalties benefit Rev. Arne’s beloved Mountain Hope Clinic.]

Do you want to know a God who can send pneuma into your life and show you what to do and how to do it? Take a closer look at our website; it is designed to help you do just that!