The Goodness of God in the Coolness of the Wind
I wish I could capture the moment forever. Sweet relief and joyful peace washed over me. I though I must be dreaming, it was far too pleasant.
It was not a difficult week per se, quite a good one actually as far as first weeks of school go for teachers. But I and my co-workers at various schools around the city were drained. It was a heat wave in September and it had been a solid week of unrelenting heat and humidity. Granted, my friends from India will probably smirk to hear my complaints of the heat, but for Philadelphia it was brutal.
Of course, normally such a heatwave would be patiently endured with air conditioning and cold drinks and indoor activity, but unfortunately that was not the case at our school. Built in 1907, the only air conditioning in the building are the window units in the classrooms. So, being a PE teacher (a gym teacher for you uncultured folks) I got to sweat it out in the gym with a couple fans and swarms of sweaty screaming children. It felt like you were breathing soup in there. Some of my classes were scheduled outside which brought the relief of a warm breeze but then you had to stand in the blazing sun on our treeless, asphalt schoolyard. No worries, I could just retreat to my office to cool off. Wait, I forgot, no AC in there either. And so at the end of each stifling day I would get into my AC-less CR-V (yes, that was out too) and ride back with the windows down. Phew. Drink water and repeat. It was a long week, and at times standing in the sun in the hot breeze I would be transported back to hot summers in New Delhi and Jaipur. I think I handled the heat better back then, though it was never pleasant.
Photo by Ivan Vranić
When Friday finally rolled around and I pulled into my driveway, I was cooked physically and mentally. It had been a long week, I wanted to walk inside and just lay on the floor. As I rolled out of my car and trudged towards our front door a precious memory was born.
My four year older daughter came bursting out of the front door running down the steps yelling “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” My pants-less two year old son was hot on her heels already telling me to look at his cars. I was happy, proud and beaming with delight as I embraced them. My wife then stepped out of the house in a beautiful white summer dress, her big brown eyes were bright and inviting as she smiled waiting at the top of the stoop with my one year old on her hip. I strode up the steps feeling like a king, rich and wealthy beyond my wildest dreams. I reached the top of the steps, kissed my wife and took my baby boy in my arms as WHOOOSH a cool blast of wind swept past all of us gently, but firmly, tugging on our clothes and my wife’s rich brown hair. The sweet coolness, the relief from the heat of the week, the wind, my blessing of a family all in one spot was such a beautiful moment it is hard to adequately describe its pleasure. It was transcendent.
My wife and two older kids clambered back inside but I remained rooted on top of that stoop holding my son there in the cool wind just letting it wash away the discomfort of the week. My son, a gift from God all in himself, sat completely still in my arms staring straight into the wind. He never sits still. I was happy to snuggle him close and study his handsome little face. We stood together for five wind wrapped minutes as I told him about God’s goodness in our lives as evidenced by that very moment. What a beautiful moment and a deep pleasure that I will always return to.
Even though it was a busy time in our household because we were getting ready to head out for the evening, I am thankful my wife let me bask in that transcendent moment before calling me back to the reality of changing diapers, packing diaper bags, putting on shoes and all the “please come here”s, “leave your sister alone"s, “leave your brother alone”s, “I said please come here”s, and car seat buckling.
Life goes on but the Lord is over it all and is in it all and sometimes something as simple as the coolness of the wind is a pleasant reminder of the goodness and faithfulness of God.
Seth.
P.S. If you appreciate or enjoy the work I am doing at Marvelous India, feel free to say thank you by buying me a cup of chai!
