Wind

The wind is blowing -- HARD! I work in a highrise building and I feel it swaying. Little fingers of dizziness tickle my stomach. A wind chime I hung up in my office sways back and forth from the suspended ceiling. I try not to look at it. I feel like my nerves are rubbed raw and I am jumpy and anxious. I think it's the whistling and howling that has not stopped for hours. A coworker approaches my office door and I see caution on her face. Am I that scary? Have I been brusque? Nasty? I smile at her and she visibly relaxes. We conclude our business with a casual conversation about our kitties and we're good, but it makes me wonder about my personae. I want to be approachable. I want to exude the love of Jesus Christ. But I don't seem to be doing that. It must be the wind, I rationalize. Or it's the unforgiving fluorescent lights that hum incessantly. Or it's the constant jangling of the phone. I pin it on everything but the real problem -- me. So today, Lord, make my heart over. Make it soft and welcoming like an old afghan, wrapped around me on a warm spring morning. I want to be as inviting as Mom's hug and as comforting as a steaming cup of tea. Repair the cracks in my frame that have allowed the wind to creep in and scratch my nerves raw so that I can be strong and safe for all to approach. Give me the protective wings of the hen gathering her chicks to her, and I will crouch down and face the wind, knowing You, Father, are protecting me. Thank you, Father for your care.