When the Wind Blows

I love wind chimes and have three on my back porch.  The other day I heard it making its sweet sound as the wind was blowing.  As I was enjoying the sound I realized it was a single sound and not the usual blend, it sounded as if only one was working. I didn’t think chimes could stop working so I went out to investigate.  Sure enough, I saw only one freely ringing in the wind, one I could barely see and the other was hidden in a flourish of leaves and flowers.  You see in the spring I planted Morning Glories to climb my trellis.  They really climbed the trellis and now I had a green wall with beautiful blue and purple flowers. I loved the colors and the way it made a wall from the sounds of the neighbors and gave us privacy.  However, the vines had wrapped their way around the chimes and completely tangled up one of them.  I would usually think that a storm or faulty hanger would ruin my chimes but not something good.
It made me think of how good things in life have a way of choking out the sounds of my soul.  I get so wrapped up in things that are good and sometimes beautiful that I begin to focus on them.  The ministry I’m involved in doesn’t take too much time so maybe I could help in another ministry. My family is so important, I should spend more time with them. My hobby really brings me satisfaction, maybe I can do it more. I really make a lot of money with my job, maybe I should work more so I can give more?  Do I allow the good things in life to choke out the sounds of my soul when the wind of the Holy Spirit blows through? Have I become so wrapped up in everyday life that there is no space to hear what the Holy Spirit says?
I love my chimes and the sounds that they make, I love my Morning Glories and their beauty. But I am reminded that when the wind blows, I need to make sure that the good things in life aren’t hindering the wind of the Spirit.

Julie Riconda