One afternoon while my husband was working on
post-hurricane repairs at our vacation home, I decided to walk the beach. The
outside temperature was 72 degrees; sunlight was reflected in gleaming silvery
streaks moving with the rolling waves; and a few lacy clouds dotted the ombre
sky, resplendent in tones ranging from aqua to robin’s egg to royal blue, and
even a hint of cobalt.
The local air force brigade, as we affectionately refer to
the native pelicans, passed overhead in precise military formation. An
auspicious beginning to my afternoon stroll, or so I thought. On our morning
walk, my husband and I had set out toward the nature preserve in search of
shells and fossils, so I decided to walk the opposite direction along the shore
to see what treasures I might find there.
But as soon as I began walking down the beach, the idyllic
experience became an unexpected challenge. I was attempting to walk straight
into the wind, hanging onto my hat to prevent losing it in the surf. The wind rushing
into my face took my breath away. The ground stretching out before me was
reminiscent of photos of the Sahara Desert, as the air currents had shaped the
sand into furrows, and streams of sand hovered a few inches over the surface,
perpendicular to the uncharacteristically hilly terrain. Thankfully, I was
wearing long pants and sneakers, or the streams of sand propelled by the wind
would have blasted my ankles!
When the hope of gathering a few beach treasures and of
reaching my daily goal of 10,000 steps no longer outweighed enduring this
struggle, I turned around to go home. As soon as I changed direction, my
circumstances also changed! No longer facing the headwinds, I now had a light
breeze at my back, propelling me gently down the beach. My hat remained
serenely on my head, its brim no longer trying to bear me aloft as if I were
the Flying Nun in that old television show. The sand was no longer attacking me
but was instead inviting me to sift through it in search of cockle shells and
shark’s teeth.
After a short, pleasant jaunt in the warm sun, I finally
made it back to our comfortable home, where my husband greeted me with an
inviting smile and hug, as well as with approval for the fossil fragments I had
found on the return journey.
This beach stroll reminded me of how much easier and more
pleasant life can be when we experience tailwinds rather than headwinds!
Financial analysts speak of socioeconomic headwinds and tailwinds that may
affect a stock’s performance, and air travel reminds us that these can result
in a late or early arrival. If we are sailing, biking, hiking, kayaking or just traveling
through life, our direction can definitely influence whether we’ll encounter
headwinds, and their impact on our journey and destination.
Sometimes we face headwinds because we deliberately choose
to fly in the face of obstacles. At other times, as in flying to another city, we
have no choice but to follow the designated route, regardless of whether
circumstances favor or hinder our journey.
Spiritually speaking, we can be guided by the gentle breath, or inspiration, of the Holy Spirit nudging us forward, or we can fly straight into His face in a headstrong spirit of rebellion. How much better to have Him as our Comforter (John 14:16), Advocate (1 John 2:1), Counselor (Isaiah 9:6) and Friend (Proverbs 18:24) than to face the wrath of our infinitely holy and righteous God!
Yet even when we are attempting to follow God’s perfect will for our life, we may encounter headwinds. Satan may be throwing obstacles in our path to discourage us, and God may allow it to strengthen our faith in and dependence on Him. Sometimes Satan works through others, perhaps even well-meaning Christian brethren who have forgotten the old tale of the sun and wind arguing over who could get a man walking on the road to remove his coat.
In that fable, the wind huffed and puffed and blew at the man with all his might, but to no avail, for the man only pulled his cloak about him more tightly. But when the sun shone brightly, the man soon removed his coat voluntarily to enjoy the sun’s warming rays. The message of this tale is like the old proverb that it’s easier to catch flies with honey than with vinegar. To paraphrase, we are more likely to shape others’ behavior in favorable ways by being a tailwind to speed them down the correct path, rather than a headwind impeding their progress.
My beach experience also reminded me of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-31). He was lulled into a false sense of security when he left his Father’s house, headed in the wrong direction, enticed by the pleasures of sin, lured away by his own greed and selfishness, and facing increasing obstacles every step of the way. When he had finally burned through his inheritance and sunk to the utter degradation of feeding and living with swine, he came to the end of himself and came to his senses.
Only then did he repent, or change direction and turn
around, realizing he would be far better off as even a servant in his Father’s
house. With each step toward home, his feet must have moved faster and the
burden on his heart must have grown lighter as he grew more confident of the wisdom of his choice to return. Can you imagine how his anticipation changed to
joy as he saw his Father running to meet him, arms opened wide, welcoming him
back with a feast, ring, and finest robe?
When we are saved by trusting in the death, burial and
resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6) it is because the Holy Spirit has
convicted us of our sin, shown us that we as sinners must face eternal
punishment in hell unless we trust Christ as our Savior, and led us to
repentance. Once we confess our sins, we have a change of heart and of direction,
turning from rebelling against God to following Him. Then we are a new creation
in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), as our burden of sin is lifted away.
But even mature Christians can rebel against God and must then
face the headwinds of the consequences of sin. Although God has given us free
will to choose our direction, He loves us too much to allow us to turn away
from Him without a struggle. First, He speaks in a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:12). If we
ignore that, He may take away our privileges or impose punishment. We may lose
fellowship with Him, the joy of His salvation (Psalm 51:12), the peace that passes all
understanding (Philippians 4:7), our health, wealth, or even our physical life.
But praise God, once a backslidden Christian changes
direction to return to the Father, these headwinds may disappear, according to
His perfect will and timing, and be replaced by tailwinds spiriting the
repentant sinner along to restored fellowship with the Father. Praise God, no
matter how far the born-again believer may roam, he will never lose his
salvation, for the Father tenderly anticipates his return home!
Copyright 2025 Laurie Collett
