Winnowing…

The past few days I have had images of winnowing wheat and chaff in my mind. I have read scriptures about wheat and chaff and understand the basic thought of it.

Yesterday while looking at quotes I came upon this quote, “But oh! the blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearlessly on any subject; with whom one’s deepest as well as one’s most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely. Oh, the comfort — the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person — having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away. ~Dinah Maria Craik, A Life for a Life, “Chapter XVI: Her Story,” 1859″ Again with the wheat and the chaff.

As I tried to sleep last night the thought of winnowing played over and over in my thoughts. I determined today to do some research on the subject and see if I was missing anything about the subject. Honestly, I wanted to look up the definition of chaff to see if I was correct in my thinking. Turns out, I was! Chaff is not edible by humans, but it can be used as fodder for animals, or it can be burned or blown away into the wind.

There have been seasons where I have felt like I have experienced winnowing. Those times when I have had chaff removed from what is truly me, being shaken and thrown to release the dry and scaly casing around me so that the true me is evident. These are unpleasant, but necessary times in my life.

There are also winnowing times in circumstances of my life. Those seasons when people and places are removed. Those seasons when things that are happening are out of my control, and I look to see situations that I wish to have a say in, but know silence is a better option. Wishing that explanations could be made to somehow make things easier, but again, with winnowing, the best will settle and what is not necessary will blow away or be burned.

As I read the quote above, I thought of the security of talking with a true friend. There is safety and security being able to be honest and open with another person. Not having to think of how to phrase things and being able to openly talk without fear of repercussion or offending others. This does not happen often. Few are those who will listen and gently and faithfully blow away those things that are not important and cling to the basic truth that is encased in the chaff.

I believe I am just in the beginning of my study on wheat and chaff. I truly do not know where it will lead me, but, I wanted to put down my initial thoughts so I do not lose them. Even in your mind, if you are not careful thoughts can dissolve and not only does the chaff blow into the wind the wheat can be buried in the muck and mire of our everyday life.

Therefore I will scatter them like stubble that passes away by the wind of the wilderness. Jeremiah 13:24 (NKJV)

Cathi (DAF)