WIND

Jesus said a lot of enigmatic things in His day. I have always assumed His goal was at least two-fold: to arouse curiosity and to dissuade His followers from thinking all truth could be conveyed in curt propositions. 

I was thinking this morning about Jesus telling Nicodemus that he needed to be "born again" (or perhaps "born from above") and how it is the Spirit that gives birth to spirit.

Maybe it's just my own hang up or a longstanding misreading on my part, but I have always been puzzled by Jesus' next assertion in particular:

"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)

What has always thrown me about this is the fact that, strictly speaking, you can tell where the wind is coming from and where it is going. 

All you need is a weather vane or a flag. (For that matter, you can simply lick your finger and then lift it in the air.) 

So I realized this morning that Jesus can't be talking about the direction of the wind's movement.  

I think maybe the meaning is better understood as "you cannot tell where the wind originates or where it will end". (This might have always seemed obvious to you, but it's a new thought for me.)

And maybe this is a stretch - and maybe it's not what Jesus meant at all - but I have found the following to be true: 

I cannot pinpoint where the Holy Spirit started working in my life. 

And I have no idea where the Spirit is taking me.

But there is a distinct sound right now and I know He is at work.

And for the record, I am open to the wind picking up.