Subject: Finding Hope and Purpose in the Whispers of the Wind (06/20/'24) -Message

Subject: Finding Hope and Purpose in the Whispers of the Wind Dear Reader, You might think I am talking nothing but wind, but I urge you to listen closely and hear the echoes of a soul entwined in the fabric of human existence. Life can feel like a relentless march, each step heavy with toil and burdens. We experience it as a slave yearning for cool shade, or as a worker longing for fair wages, drifting month after month with little to live for, and enduring nights full of grief. Our bodies, frail vessels, can be full of decay, covered in scabs, and racked with pain. Days pass swiftly, often void of hope, faster than a weaver's shuttle. We cry out, "Remember, O God, my life is but a breath," a fleeting whisper on the edge of death. Yet, even in this anguish, there's a profound calling—to lose oneself, and in that loss, be found. Jesus' words offer a lifeline through the storm: "Come, follow Me, forget yourself, carry your cross, and be free. For whoever seeks to save their own life will find it lost amid the strife. But whoever loses life for My sake will find it renewed with each step they take. What gain is there to win the world entire if one's soul is lost, consumed by fire?" In the whispers of the wind, hear the call—to find true life in the surrender of all. Through suffering and sacrifice, we discover the essence of our being, woven into the divine tapestry where every thread of pain and joy finds its place. The wind may seem empty, but it carries the profound truths of existence, whispering of a journey from despair to hope, from loss to eternal gain. With hope and faith, Pastor Steven G. Lee (June 20, 2024)