Bending and Swaying in the Wind

Bending and Swaying in the Wind--

Just like everyone else, we have been outside working in our yard and plant beds all morning.  The sun is shinning, the sky is a beautiful shade of blue, bluebells are in full bloom, and everything is popping out of ground.  One thing is needed to make this the perfect day.  That one thing has been with us all winter.  Know what I am writing about?

Yes, the wind.  I love a gentle breeze when the day is hot and muggy.  However, the wind has been strong and constant for months.  It has been our companion through the bitter cold of winter and now in our very late and cold spring.  It has been an unusual six months weatherwise.

After changing from my mud covered pants and shoes, I decided to sit on the deck and enjoy the sights and sounds of spring.  It was then that something caught my eye.  We have many trees on our small acreage.  Most of the trees are just now beginning to show signs of leaves.  Many of the trees have small trunks.  Because they are small in diameter, they sway in the wind.  Of course, that made me think.

As I watched the trees swaying in the winds, I thought about people and beliefs.  I thought about being rooted in what we hold dear yet allowing new thoughts a place in our beings.  What a perfect picture the trees are of the necessity to be able to stand firm yet be able to bend to keep from breaking.  Watching the trees made me realize that just because I believe a certain way doesn't make it the right belief for others.  Honestly, I reached that conclusion many years ago.  It simply reaffirmed that fact.  Being able to bend means we value what others think.  People tend to shy away from meaningful conversations with others who cannot see change as a possibility.

There will be times when we simply will not bend.  Certainly those times arrive when raising children.  They may show up when we find ourselves in a relationship that might bring us pain.  You know what those times look like for you.  While I acknowledge that there are circumstances when we hold firm, I also know that most of life is made up of gentle swaying.  There is a sweetness in being able to hold firm with a gentle spirit.  We are  drawn to those people who know who they are yet do not feel the need to change others.  They are such a gift.

Maybe today we will be faced with a situation that requires us to bend.  Will we be willing to allow that to happen?  Someone may ask us a direct question that requires a response.  Can we give that response while remaining rooted in our own self?  Can we do that in a nonthreatening manner?  Can we allow another person to share what they think without giving our two cents?  Sometimes people need a listening ear.  When that happens, they are not looking for our response.  They are simply sharing.  When we are privileged to be the listener, thankfulness should wash over us.  Someone trusts us to be with them in a time of need.  What they don't need is our rooted belief.  They need our ability to sway-to move with them through whatever the circumstance.

The wind continues to blow through the trees as I write this.  Trees are bending and swaying.  Yet they are rooted firmly in the ground.  I love that.  What a lovely lesson we can learn from that beautiful picture nature provides.