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Living in the Updraft of the Wild Goose of the Holy Spirit

By Anita Mathias

Wild Geese fly in a V formation. The lead goose reduces the wind resistance; the others glide, almost effortlessly, in the currents she has created.

During a storm, the eagle waits perched on the edge of its nest for the wind to gain sufficient velocity. And then it spreads its wings wide and effortlessly glides into the winds of the storm.

* * *

 Have you ever seen hawks or eagles soar, wings outstretched, rising without a single beat of their enormous, magnificent wings, soaring, soaring? They are soaring on thermal currents—masses of air that rise when the ground rapidly warms up.

And sometimes, they soar on obstruction currents, when wind currents are deflected by mountains, cliffs or tall buildings. The resulting updraft lifts them to high altitudes at which they can glide.

* * *

 The Wild Goose was an emblem of the Holy Spirit in Celtic tradition. And the eagle, in Scripture, is a symbol both of God, and God’s people.

Eagles rarely waste their energy flapping their enormous wings—they soar on thermal currents, obstruction currents, and on the wings of the wind…

I have been reading about “the anointing,” in R. T. Kendall’s splendid book, “The Anointing.”

He writes: “the anointing is when our gift functions easily. It comes with ease. It seems natural. No working it up is needed. If one has to work it up, one has probably gone outside one’s anointing. If one goes outside one’s anointing, the result is often fatigue, that is weariness or spiritual lethargy that has been described as ‘dying inside.’”

* * *

 I find that with my writing on my blog, and indeed all writing. If I listen to what the Spirit is saying to me through the events of my life, record the mini-revelation or “revelations” given to me each day by the God who speaks continuously and is never silent (God is speaking. Not God spoke, but God is speaking. He is by His nature continuously articulate. A W Tozer) then blogging is quick, easy and delightful. And what’s more, it very often speaks to people.

But when I look at other people’s important mandarin posts, strategic posts that capture the zeitgeist and echo what everyone else is writing about, and wonder if I should go and do likewise that blogging feels heavy, a chore, work rather than play. Why? Because the wind of the Spirit is not helping me soar; I have to expend scarce energy with a mighty, exhausting flapping of wings.

There is a lightness to God’s work, an abounding creativity–tossing off creating zebras, giraffes, toucans, morpho butterflies or orchids. It is not fanciful to suppose that God was at play as these beautiful things came into being, step by step through the mighty forces of evolution. Work merging into delightful play.

* * *

 In his book, Homo Ludens, or Man the Player, the Dutch historian and cultural theorist, Johan Huizinga, suggests that culture stems from man at play, man simply playing with words, or music or paint or the sketches of mighty cathedrals.

And when I record the whispers of the spirit, write in the updraft of the wild goose of the Holy Spirit, blogging is easy, light and delightful. And I am playing in the fields of the Lord, thinking aloud, possibly, probably making mistakes–but oh, it is all such fun!!

 

 

 

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Filed Under: In which I chase the wild goose of the Holy Spirit, In which I explore writing and blogging and creativity, Writing and Blogging Tagged With: blogging, Creativity, eagles, R. T. Kendall, writing

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Comments

  1. Don says

    February 18, 2013 at 6:17 pm

    This is precisely why I read your blog faithfully! Thanks again, Anita.

    • Anita Mathias says

      February 19, 2013 at 7:59 pm

      Thank you, Don. You are so kind!

  2. Joy Lenton says

    February 17, 2013 at 7:16 pm

    Wild geese flight formation and patterns are a great example of how to rise up and journey most effectively. Eagle-style soaring is a feature of a book I’m currently reading, ‘Never give up’ by Joyce Meyer. Lifted by the wind of the Holy Spirit, we can fly above our circumstances upheld by God’s thermal current of grace. I have also enjoyed R.T Kendall’s ‘The Anointing’ and your words here are encouraging me to read it again so it can speak to me anew in a season when I am needing to pare back to essentials and focus on God’s best for my life. It soon becomes apparent when we attempt to write/blog/do life in our own strength rather than allow Holy Spirit to reveal His way and unlimited resources to us. Stay anointed, Anita, as you bless others through your words! 🙂

    • Anita Mathias says

      February 19, 2013 at 8:03 pm

      Hi Joy, Yeah, life can be very hard, and I wonder if God allows it to be so to force us to depend on him. Because in fact, waiting for the winds of his spirit makes life easier, not harder!

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Wandering Between Two Worlds: Essays on Faith and Art

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Francesco, Artist of Florence: The Man Who Gave Too Much

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The Story of Dirk Willems

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