A Gentle Stirring

I was reading in my car Thursday afternoon, waiting for the kids to get out of school, when I heard a very familiar and welcoming sound. It was the wind rustling the leaves in a tree across the street. There hadn't been any noticeable wind all day, so it came as a surprise when the wind began to blow.

The sound of the leaves brought to mind an incident from my youth. I was in my early teens, going through the normal moodswings, and I had just finished watching a movie with a sad, yet happy ending (the name of the movie has long escaped my memory). I remember I felt like crying, so I walked out into our backyard to get some air.

It was late afternoon on a Saturday. There were no loud noises. Everything was pretty still. I was fighting the sadness in my mind, when all of a sudden the wind began to blow ever so gently. Then the leaves in the trees began to stir.It was such a small sound, but it spoke to my heart. It was as if God was reaching out to me through His wonderful nature and telling me: "It's going to be okay. You're significant to me."

That gentle stirring lifted up my spirits. I returned to the house with a smile and a joyful heart.

I still smile when I hear the wind rustling leaves or pine needles in the trees. It reminds me that God is watching over me. He is there when I need Him. He is bigger than my problems.

Let God stir your heart today and bring you hope and joy.