The Wind, The Holy Spirit and the Appalachian Trail

I’ve been home a few days and I’m happy to be here.  It is comfortable and clean. I sleep well in our bed.  The carpet is so soft and I don’t need to wear shoes. There is no danger of slipping on rocks, roots, or mud and falling. The roof over my head will protect me from wind and rain. I can turn on the faucet for water to drink and I don’t have to look at my map for water sources or use a purifier.  I don’t have to use a composting privy or dig a cat hole.  One simple flush after sitting on a clean toilet seat takes care of it. I can take a bath or shower whenever I desire and put on clean clothes because I have access to a washer and dryer.  When it gets dark, I don’t have to wear my headlamp. Oh, the comforts of home !  I don’t take them for granted any more.  BUT my mind continues to think about the Appalachian Trail.

When I was in the midst of the tempest on May 5^th  in the violent wind, I thought about the Apostles in the upper room as they waited and prayed for the Holy Spirit.  “Suddenly, a sound like the roar of a mighty windstorm came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:2    

Jesus had promised that He would send the Holy Spirit after He left them and returned to the Father. "If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." John 14:15-17.  

 In 1990 I visited Israel and prayed in the Upper Room where the Apostles waited and prayed. I doubt that I will ever forget the sound of the mighty windstorm as I walked from Overmountain Shelter over Little Hump Mountain, Bradley Gap, Hump Mountain and through Doll Flats. Its force was incredible and frightening. I expect the Apostles and the others gathered in the Upper Room were frightened – they were inside a building and the sound entered the room as if they were outside in the elements. I will also never forget when the Holy Spirit was released in my life.  

I received the Holy Spirit at my baptism when I was just a few weeks old. The Spirit was in my life leading me quietly through my childhood and I did know it. In fifth grade, I studied about the Holy Spirit and prepared for the Sacrament of Confirmation. When the Bishop anointed me with Holy Oil and prayed for the Holy Spirit to be released in my life, I didn't experience anything out of the ordinary but the Holy Spirit's seal on my life was strengthened. In 1987 after a healing Mass when I went up to a prayer team for prayer, it was with a gentle touch that I rested in the Holy Spirit and was filled with incredible joy and peace. The experience was a gateway to growth in the Holy Spirit and my life has been truly enriched because I know the Holy Spirit lives in me.

I found the article below today; it was written for children and I like it because Jesus said:

“Truly, I say to you, unless you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”—Matthew 18:3-4

How Is The Wind Like The Holy Spirit ?

   by Dr. Donald B. DeYoung

This question brings to mind John 3-8:

The wind blows wherever it pleases.
You hear its sound, but cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.
So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

The word spirit in both Hebrew and Greek means “breath” or “wind.” Both a breath of air and a breeze are appropriate images for the Holy Spirit.
Consider several properties of the wind.

Maple trees depend on the wind to blow their seeds to new places where they can grow new trees.


Hot air balloons go wherever the wind takes them.

1. Wind is moving air, and this fresh air is needed continually for life itself. Even seeds often require wind for their dispersal and subsequent growth. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is the presence of God, the source for all life.
   
   
2. Wind has no material shape or form. It is invisible; we cannot see the source or the destination of wind. It is a mysterious, unseen force. Nevertheless, its presence is known by its effects.
   Likewise, the unseen Holy Spirit can be experienced in a refreshing way. His presence is displayed in the work he does in human lives by transforming, sanctifying, encouraging, and teaching.
   
3. Wind is a powerful force. It cannot be stopped or controlled by people. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is not subject to human control. The moving of the Holy Spirit is God at work.
   
   
4. There is great variety in the wind. It may be a soft whisper gently rustling the leaves on the trees, or it may be a hurricane uprooting trees.
   
   Likewise, the Holy Spirit may gently bring a person to Christ such as a little child raised in a Christian home, or he may work in some climactic, dramatic way to bring conviction and conversion to the hardened sinner.
   
   In Acts 16 contrast Lydia whose heart the Lord opened (verse 14) and the jailer who needed an earthquake to jar him to his spiritual sense (verse 30). In both cases, the Holy Spirit did the regenerating work.
   
   See how the Holy Spirit first came to Jesus Christ's followers as a rushing wind. The Holy Spirit Comes to the Apostles  
   
   
   
   Oftentimes the Holy Spirit comes to me quietly. I don't hear a voice but the Spirit inhabits my thoughts. Sometimes I hear the Spirit through other people or during prayer. I have heard the Holy Spirit through words of encouragement from Trail Journals, emails and through comments on facebook and this blog.
   
   Pentecost Sunday is May 19th and I hope to celebrate the birthday of the Church in Abingdon, Virginia, at Christ the King Catholic Church. My husband is taking me back to Roan Mountain, TN this weekend and he will be my shuttle as I slack pack from USFS 293 to Damascus. The respiratory virus that I picked up just before Erwin, TN lingers and his assistance will help me to continue to recover and hike. I don't know what the future holds for me and the Appalachian Trail after Damascus but I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to lead me and guide me and reveal to me His desire and plan for the journey.