Gusts of wind tossed our 737 wildly like a toddler flailing a toy. Air currents from a nearby hurricane were pushing us sideways as we came in for the scariest landing of my life. Sean, on the other hand, thought it was great fun. He was getting to experience a crosswind landing like those he had watched on video. The whole cabin broke out in cheers and applause for the pilot once we were safely on solid ground. Most of the flights into the airport had been canceled that day, but for some reason, ours had gone through. As we taxied to the gate, I looked out the window to see the palm trees bowing low, and I thought about the lines in a child’s poem:

Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I;

But when the trees bow down their heads,

The wind is passing by.

Another experience we had while on furlough caused me to think about wind. Sean is a skilled sailor, but my daughters and I had never tried it. We were eager to take up an offer for sailing lessons from our field director, Bill Johnson. We learned about teamwork and responsibility, and we learned that sailing is hard work. Even though we were bushed, bruised, battered and burned from sailing, we still had a great time, and the lessons we learned were worth it all. I learned how important it is to be able to read the wind. I was amazed at how Sean could tell when we would be getting a gust of wind just by watching the patterns on the water. It had been many years since he had sailed, but it all came back to him like second nature. In my inexperience, I had enough difficulty learning how to discern the direction of the wind at any moment. I learned to watch the sails closely and to keep checking often, almost continuously, to notice shifts in direction. If you aren’t careful while sailing into the wind, you can find yourself “in irons,” and unable to go anywhere, except maybe to drift backwards a little.

During a class at Amazing Facts College of Evangelism, Annie, a gifted trainer of Bible workers, spoke about how the Holy Spirit is like the wind. She explained that we must be alert to discover the direction the Spirit wind is working in another person’s life. She explained that we must set our sails so we can move in the right direction—God’s direction.

We are seeking to better develop this type of discernment, and God is blessing. We are beginning to learn how to read the wind in the hearts of others. Pray that God will guide us so we can help to steer precious Albanian souls into His safe harbor.

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