Adventure awaits the Banks Family in 2021! We are now the proud caretakers of our very own Dutchmen pop-up camper! Fully furnished with 90’s geometric shapes printed on the cushions. Complete with cream formica countertops and more curtains and zippers than you could ever dream of! The best part of it all? Absolutely free! A gift from some clients of my husband who decided to reach out and bless us well into the next decade! You have no idea what this means for our little family and how many far-reaching prayers it will fulfill. More time together, the ability to travel affordably, and quenching our thirst for the Great Outdoors to name a few. So many spoken and unspoken prayers. Proving once more, that God is ever clever in His pursuit of His people.
A week ago, my husband rolled it up the driveway on his way home from work. The house we live in has four bedrooms but you better believe we slept in the camper that night! In the driveway. Why?
Because we just got a free camper! Sorry. Still excited.
It proved to be the perfect night, too. Although my daughter would have had us gather ALL of our bedding and bring it downstairs (and she did try to force my goose down comforter through the front door), we had a few quilts and pillows that sufficed. The three of us fell asleep holding hands and thanking the Lord for being so undeniably kind to our family.
Around 1am, my husband and I woke to the camper rocking about; the wind blowing violently through the screens. As far as Colette was concerned, none of this happened. She had sunk like a rock. Jared went to zip the screens back up, but the problem wasn’t caused by the opened screens. Several screens on the far side of the camper were still sealed up. The wind was getting caught inside, tossing the whole structure to and fro. We decided to unzip more screens so that the wind could move through the camper freely.
It was evident to me that the Lord was speaking at this time. He’s pretty methodical in waking me up at odd hours of the night to tell me something special. See? Ever clever, is our God. The Holy Spirit moved me to jot down some notes by the light of the Edison bulbs hanging through the trees.
I wrote: Don’t close off the Spirit. Let Him move freely.
There I was, laying in this free gift after opening up all sides, tucked into my covers, feeling the gentle brush of the wind over my forehead. How can you not feel God’s love in that moment? Like a mother kissing her baby one last time before leaving His room. Never wanting to leave at all. Running her fingers through his hair. Over and over again. Whispering, You’re safe. You’re loved. I missed you. I love you. You’re cared for. I’m not going anywhere.
This is exactly how the Spirit of the Lord shows up in our lives.
The wind didn’t die down after we opened up the camper. It was still stirring around like before. This time, it passed through, over my head and brought great comfort. Like a wave passing over me. Coming and going and coming again. For a while, it continued to keep me awake, even. But here’s the thing...
I knew what it was, I knew it wasn’t leaving, and I had given it room to move.
The Spirit of the Lord desires to awaken the hearts of God’s people. Like a low flying plane stirring gusts of wind overhead, the Spirit of the Lord cannot pass over us without leaving its impact. When our hearts are left unopened, it can feel like a furious jolt of energy passing through. It can seem overwhelming and sometimes disturbing. If we keep those walls up, if we try to close up the sides of our heart that we had already opened, we miss out on the freedom that comes from fully surrendering to God’s love for us. Let us be like watchmen waiting in the night. For when the children of God decide to get up in the middle of our slumber and unzip the far sides of our hearts, I believe the Spirit of God runs freely in our lives and the center of our souls start to settle.
And much like the wind keeping me up that night, once you’ve been awakened over and over again, you’ll learn to rest in it. I pray you find rest in His Spirit and learn to embrace its ever comforting presence in your life.
Your friend in Jesus,
Kari
Reflect
1. Consider the following scripture and think about the veil that Christ has lifted in your life. What limitations might you still have up that Jesus is asking you to uncover.
Whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.- 2 Corinthians 3:16-18
2. Have there been times in your life that the Spirit of God felt more like a stranger than a friend? How did you overcome this? How can you help others to embrace the move of The Spirit in their lives?
Do Something
1. Write down 5 limitations or distractors that limit your interaction with the Holy Spirit. Next, jot down 5 different avenues that the Holy Spirit speaks to you. For example:
Limitation- Insecurity about my shortcomings during worship
Avenue- Music
See here? Sometimes the very places that the Holy Spirit takes hold of us can be some of the most difficult places for us to feel confident in.
2. I'm always amazed at how little I understand about the mystery of this one aspect of The Trinity. Just when I think I've figured it out- I'm reminded of the hugeness of God. All I can do is spend each day with open arms for more of His presence. Set aside time this week to read scriptures and articles regrading The Holy Spirit.
Below, you'll find some resources to get you started.
At the end of the week, ask these questions: How has your viewpoint of the Holy Spirit changed? How does this help you in your relationship with the Father and the Son? How can you begin to share this new perspective with others? How might you ask the Holy Spirit to guide you?
Further Reading
Click on the links to explore their content:)
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit- Moody Bible Institute
Holy Spirit- Video by The Bible Project
Scriptures on The Holy Spirit by Knowing Jesus
How Does The Holy Spirit Help Us?- The Gospel Coalition
Prayer
Come Holy Spirit. Wherever I am. Whatever it costs me. Help me to abide in You so that the Father's Name may be great in my life and the Son should shine through me. Help me to recognize areas in which I've attempted to thwart Your work with or without knowing it. Help me to be more open to the heart of my Creator. Speak for me when I'm speechless, move me toward the paths I am to follow, and lead me ever-so gently as I learn to make room for You in my life.
Listen
Literally way too many to list but here are a few with a lot of weight behind them. Listening to them really helps me to overcome distractors in my life.
Look for the podcast later this week at See Good Things Podcast
