Against The Wind

About once a week I do a 12 mile bike ride. I start about 4 miles away from Fiesta Island, do the 4 mile loop around the island, and head back to my starting point. One of the things I look forward to is experiencing the wind at my back at different points along the ride. Last week I did my usual ride — and it was different. The wind was swirling a bit. On the way to Fiesta Island, the wind was against me. I knew instinctively that somewhere on the 4 mile loop, relief would come.

But it didn’t.

The wind was literally against me the entire time — including the 4 miles back to my starting point. My weekly ride isn’t just a casual joy ride. I push hard so that I can get a cardio workout. Man, did I get a workout! Although I was tired, the endorphins kicked in and I experienced a feeling of bliss.

Have you ever felt like the winds of life are against you? You keep hoping for favorable winds, but the winds are working against you.

Favorable winds are wonderful, but we need to make sure we don’t read too much into them. If the winds are against us, it doesn’t mean God is against us. If the winds are blowing in a favorable direction, it doesn’t necessarily mean God is in the wind.

There’s a story in Acts 27 about the Apostle Paul and a shipwreck. The ship was headed for Rome. It was not a favorable time of year to be traveling the seas. The captain, however, was impatient and decided to go for it. Paul warned the captain and the crew that if they continued on their journey, they would lose the ship. One morning, while they were waiting for things to calm down, this happened. Acts 27:13, When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. The captain and crew probably had smug smiles on their faces, thinking Paul didn’t have a clue.

But wait — look what happens next. Vs 14, But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a “northeaster”) burst across the island and blew us out to sea. They lost the ship, but God graciously spared all their lives.

My point is — smooth sailing is great, but it’s not always an indicator that we are in the middle of God’s will for our life. Sometimes, when the wind is blowing hard against us, God is in the wind. You might be wondering, is there any upside to facing a headwind?

Actually, there is. When the wind is against us, it makes us strong. It increases our endurance, and it builds up our leg muscles. On a personal level, it feels like the wind has been against me for a while. I’m hoping that soon the wind changes direction — but in the meantime, I pedal on, knowing the winds will change, but God’s faithfulness will never change.

Stay close to Jesus,

Steve