Ending the Year with the Wind at My Back

This is the 11th hour of the day and the year 2008. The last couple of weeks have been busy with the holiday, year end and spending time with people. This flurry of activity has energized me more than I have experienced in many years.

The weather today was really an interesting analogy of how this year has unfolded. Today started out with a very peaceful snowfall with plans of feeding my mind, heart and body with a walk with a friend. Thus started my strategy for approaching the year 2008. Fairly far into the walk this morning, the winds picked up and I was walking with the wind at my face. This made the walk less enjoyable with a feeling of cold to my core. Sometime around March of this year, the winds picked up and the years walk became one of resistance and challenges of facing immanent reconciliation of more of the unsettled pieces to the puzzle of my past.

As my friend and I reached the end of the walk the winds were unbelievable. I had not prepared myself for this adversity.
The call that I had received eight years ago was once again tugging and tormenting me only it was surfacing in a different way this time. From March through July the winds turned to a gale, and I found myself many times unable to catch my breath.
Finally, we were back in a warm vehicle and headed for breakfast. A warm cup of coffee hadn't tasted that good in a while. By August the storm had passed. There was collateral damage in my mind and heart so I adjusted the intensity and frequency of my prayers. This was all for a purpose because in early September the second storm came through and it was more intense and damaging than the first. A few good friends came out of nowhere,stood by, reassured and encouraged me to keep the faith as I picked up the pieces just like I had done so many times before. The calm from this storm produced a peace that I wasn't expecting.

I stayed inside after my invigorating and engaging walk with my friend watching the winds progressively pick up all day outside. I built a fire in the fireplace and am quietly ending this day alone with the book of Joel. October, November and December finished the year with a similar calm, a peace and a renewed hope just like this day. God sent people to walk with me into 2009. People that I have been praying for. Thankfully, I am ending the year walking with the wind at my back and following His path of least resistance.