Sometimes you need to take a good look at yourself.

Especially in the windy month of March. 31 days of bad hair. The wind-blown look always looks better on other people. Me, I'm a hat person.

What happens when the wind of the Spirit blows my way? Do I remove my hat and dare to let the Spirit rearrange me? If I play it safe, will the Spirit just knock my hat off anyway?

What happens at this "gathering" thing we do at St. Paul's every first Sunday of the month? Is it like a wind-tunnel as the Spirit moves among and within us? I'd say the effect is much calmer than that. But we do make time to rest in the quiet, to allow for the rustle of that still, small voice.

In the silence of our hearts, the Spirit may hold up a mirror for us. Not to scare us with. Not to hit us over the head with. It is an invitation to come closer for a focused view of ourselves. An opportunity to see details that we too often overlook.

It is safe to approach the mirror because we know that we are made in God's image, even though our lives could use a make-over now and then. Maybe it's time for a new hat.

Sandra Chapin