To Be One With The Air

"Wings of Eagles" - pencil sketch

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. ~ Isaiah 40:31

Have you ever watched a bird catch an updraft? Rick saw one the other day and told me how the bird was just flying along, then it turned into the wind, leaned its wings back and whoosh - it went straight up. Amazing! As Rick spoke, I imagined what it would be like. So, here I am writing where that little thought took me.

Imagine the intimate relationship that a bird must have with the air. The bird in flight is completely dependent upon or subject to air currents, wind speed, updrafts, and all things air. Imagine being suspended in the wind, far above the ground, surrounded by nothing but air. Upheld by nothing but air. Birds must be aware of every fluctuation in pressure, direction, and speed. They know how to use it to their advantage. For years, I have watched birds gather in trees, on high wires, and on the ground just before a cold front or a storm arrives. They do so because the air pressure is so low, that flying is too difficult and exhausts them. They know days in advance of the storm's arrival. If you watch the birds closely enough you can predict the weather. They live in the weather, so they know. They also know how to conserve energy by riding air currents. I guess you could say that they rest in the air. If they need to move higher, they just catch a current and let it lift them.

Do you get the picture? Can you see how intimately connected the birds are with the air? Then, let's make some connections.

Point 1: The birds live, move, and have their very being in the air. They are intimate with it.

Point 2: Acts 17:28 says, "For in Him we live and move and have our being..."

Point 3: In the New Testament, the word Spirit (as in Holy Spirit) is translated from the Greek word pneuma, meaning "a current of air, a breath (blast), or a breeze."*

Now, imagine what it might be like to be as intimate with the Holy Spirit as a bird is with the air. I think that was God's plan for sending Him to us. Jesus said, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." (John 16:7) He knew that we needed the Holy Spirit in order to have this intimate relationship.

Maybe you're thinking it's harder for us, because we don't live with Him the way the birds live with the air. To that I say, it's our choice whether we do or don't. A bird can choose to hop around on the ground its whole life, but that leaves it vulnerable and weak. Perhaps it's scary for them to take to the air the first time. They only learn to fly by flying - in the air. We are meant to live in Him. We are meant to know in advance of a storm's arrival. We are meant to rest in Him. We are meant to be lifted higher by Him. We are meant to live and move and have our being in Him.

So, how do we do that? I believe that the key is to be continually mindful of Him. Scripture study, prayer, praise, and worship are part of that, but not all. Be thankful for what He has blessed you with. Learn to keep Him in your thoughts throughout your daily activities. If you have a problem, ask for His wisdom. Talk to Him about your work, your family, and your life. Think of Him as someone right next to you throughout your day. You will be amazed. The Bible tells us that the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to a friend (Ex. 33:11). That is the intimacy of which I speak.

Finally, one more tidbit before I go. A word study of Isaiah 40:31 revealed that the Hebrew root of the phrase "wait upon" means "to bind or twist together."* That sounds very intimate to me.

But they who are bound together with the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. 

Remember, you can only learn to fly by flying.

***

Lord, I hunger for intimacy with you. Please, teach me to fly in Your Spirit.

***

* Definitions are from Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries.

The Crepe Myrtles are Saying It's Fall

Fall is my favorite season! Every year, I spend August's sweltering days anticipating the cool of autumn. When September arrives, I begin watching the trees. While driving, I've noticed that certain trees are shifting to yellow as if sighing that they are just too hot and tired to maintain their summer green. In my own yard, I heed the crepe myrtles - my watchers on the wall, ready to signal the change to come. Yellow-tinged leaf tips whisper secrets of shorter days and cool breezes. Each day, golden hues seep further along and spread the word. Finally, the leaf blushes, sounding the red alert before it fades into brown and falls silently to the path below.

Fascinated by this ritual, I plucked a few leaves and brought them into the studio to sketch. A younger me might have stood on the rocky garden path, balancing a sketchbook, drawing pencil, kneaded eraser, and a dozen or so coloring pencils as I drew them still on the tree. The older and wiser me preferred my comfy chair and air conditioning, only to face the frustrating task of preventing Kitty Mau from tasting, caressing, and stealing the leaves! Upon realizing the battle was futile, I went to fetch leaves just for her. She rubbed them, licked them, and promptly batted them off the table and onto the floor. She liked my leaves better. So much for wisdom on my part. I resorted to placing the canned air, her mortal enemy, next to the leaves. Truce achieved. 

Colored pencils are a new medium to me. I purchased a set of Prismacolor Verithins recently and have enjoyed playing with them. They are very different from chalk, conte, or oil pastels - all of which are old friends of mine. I need to study a few pencil techniques and practice. Overall, I'm fairly pleased with the drawing. I love the different stages of the color shifts in the leaves. I couldn't do it justice. Still, it's wonderful to be making art again - doing it just for the pure joy of bringing something from nothing. No pressure, no deadlines, no expectations. Simply bliss.

On another note, you may have noticed that my blog got a makeover. I've been wanting to come back to it with a fresh start, so voilà! The cloudy background is a digital painting on a canvas texture. A bit of a rushed job, not wanting to wait for paint to dry, but I think it's rather fun.

So, I rejoice in the new season, comforted by the surety of its coming. 

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. ~ Gen 8:22


Lord, I thank you for autumn, the time of harvest, and for mild weather to relish before the biting winter comes. Thank you for establishing the routine and rotation of seasons as a continual reminder of your steadfastness and eternal stewardship over the earth. I praise you in every season and revel in your unending love!