A Tiny Fluff

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it,

but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.

So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

It was a beautiful morning, and I mean truly perfect.  There was a bright blue sky with no clouds.  It was warm and sunny but not humid.  It was breezy but not windy.  It was a simply glorious day, so I climbed into my favorite patio chair with my Bible and a freshly brewed cup of coffee.  The amazing weather was a gift to my spirit, but I admitted to the Lord my heart was restless with some of life’s circumstances.

I tried to place my concerns toward the back of my mind as I opened my Bible but shortly into my reading, a distraction floated by.  It was a small, white piece of fluff from a seedbearing plant, and it landed on the table in front of me.  I continued reading, not giving it too much thought. However, a gentle breeze picked the little bit of fuzz up off of the table and it blew it past my face. I gave the air a light swipe hoping the fluff would land in the grass. It didn’t. Instead, it swirled around me again. Finally, I wondered to myself, “Is God trying to get my attention and address my restlessness with this simple visual?”

So, I stopped reading and watched the fluff float effortlessly about. It moved simply at the impulse of the wind.  As I studied the gentle movement of the tiny seed dancer, God reminded me of the 123 John Bible study Stacy and I wrote.  Dandelions were the visual we used on the cover and throughout the study. I had learned a great deal about dandelions in the spring of 2022, including the scientific name for the seed fluff I was observing. It was a “pappus.” A pappus looks like fine hairs that attach to a minuscule seed.  This little creation was ingeniously designed by God and allows for simple dispersal of new seeds.  The wind is the transport system which allows it to colonize new plants apart from its parent plant.

But what caught my attention was the way the simple fluff traveled.  When it was released into the air, it did not anxiously ask the wind where it was going to ultimately land. It simply trusted the wind and carelessly floated. Oh, what faith the teeny seed had in the faithfulness of the wind. It didn’t try to steer itself or tell the wind where it thought it should go. It entrusted its safe landing to the wind knowing its maker knew where it would take root, grow and eventually bloom.

John 3:8 records a conversation between Jesus and a man named Nicodemus.  They had been discussing his need to be born again and Jesus said this,

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it,

but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.

So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Jesus said these words in the hope that Nicodemus would recognize that although he did not understand everything about the wind, he did understand the effect of the wind.  Likewise, he didn’t need to understand everything about the Holy Spirit to experience it.  Jesus wanted Nicodemus to put his faith in Jesus as the Messiah and be born again.  Similarly, I felt the Lord asking me to trust Him with my life circumstances.  I, like Nicodemus, do not understand where the wind comes from or where it goes but am I willing to trust the wind maker?  Would I, like the little fluff, place my faith in the knowledge that God was directing my future and life circumstances?  Would I choose to believe, even when I could not see, that He is taking me to places where I would thrive?

These questions challenged my restless heart. I could continue to battle the unknowns, or I could trust Him.  And so, on that perfect weather morning, I addressed the stormy weather in my heart.

I held the fluff for a while in my hand and prayed before releasing it into the gentle breeze that carried it far away from where I was sitting.  As it glided away, I decided to follow its example and trust the Lord for what is ahead, knowing He is guiding the wind that that is directing my future.

How about you?  Have you found your heart wrestling with what is ahead or unknown?  Do you honestly trust that God is guiding your path forward? What might you need to relinquish to Him? Do you need to acknowledge your lack of trust? Is there something uncomfortable you foresee on the horizon and wonder how it will work out?

Spend some time in prayer being honest with your worries and fears. Give them to the One who controls all things. Consider how you too can be more like the pappus who trusts the wind to move it to just the right place where it will thrive.