Who is The Holy Spirit?

Jesus said to his disciples, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever –the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you.
“I will not abandon you as orphans, I will come to you. In a little while the world will not see me any longer, but you will see me; because I live, you will live too.
“I have spoken these things while staying with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you. John 14: 15-19, 25-26

Summer is almost here. My oldest child is home from college and my youngest is getting ready to graduate. Our summer planning is underway, and looking toward this summer, I recall summers past.

I spent every summer from the time I was born until I was 7 years old at camp. My dad was the camp director at 4-H camp on the beautiful shores of Lake Esquagama, near Biwabik, MN.
On the last day of school, we would load our green station wagon with necessities, bid goodbye to city life and all of our friends, and head north for 3 months of outdoor fun.

Our little cabin, called Elsin Lodge, sat at the end of the winding, pine tree lined driveway which was the entrance to the camp. This was our address for the summer. There was a shower in the basement, but I remember taking my Sunday night bath in the big sink.

Mosquitoes were our constant companions at night, buzzing in our ears and leaving red welts on our arms.

More than once our brown wiener dog Toby tried to wrestle a skunk under the front porch (and lost) causing a horrific odor that would last for weeks. I remember our accommodations as primitive and less than comfortable, and we were 60 miles from home.

It was during one of those summer nights at Elsin Lodge, an hour’s drive from our doctor in Duluth, that my little sister developed the croup.

I awoke to her coughing, and the sound was unlike any I have heard since. Barking is what it was, but along with the barking was wheezing, and crying, and then doors opening and slamming shut, and then I heard the shower running and running and running – for what seemed like hours.

And then it was quiet. I tiptoed out of my room to find my mom sitting in the steaming shower room, holding my baby sister who was now breathing easily and sound asleep. The steam from the hot shower had calmed her coughing and opened her airways and allowed her to breathe.

The steam that night was the Holy Spirit, the breath of life for my sister.

Who exactly is the Holy Spirit and how does she work in our lives? Think of water.

Even though there are three uniquely different states of H2O, (solid, liquid, and gas) they are still water. In the same way, these states of water can remind us of the triune nature of God.
The solid form of water (ice) reminds us of God the FATHER. Ice is hard. It is solid. In the same way, God the FATHER is our solid foundation.

The liquid form of water reminds us of God the SON. Jesus called himself the living water. Water is used for cleansing. Jesus died on the cross to cleanse us of our sin.

The gas form of water is steam. Steam reminds us of God the HOLY SPIRIT. You can’t always see steam, but you can feel the effects of it. In the same way, the HOLY SPIRIT cannot be seen, but the effects of her presence can be seen and felt in our lives as the HOLY SPIRIT works to make her will known to us and to change us.

The bible describes the many and various works of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the world:
In the original languages of the bible, Hebrew and Greek, the word spirit is from the same root word as breath or wind (ruach, pneuma) – we might think of the Holy Spirit as the breath of God, blowing through our lives like the wind.

The bible mentions the Holy Spirit 92 times. It:
· Conceived a child in Mary
· Baptized Jesus
· Speaks for us
· Intercedes for us
· Filled Elizabeth
· Rested on Simeon
· Teaches us
· Led Jesus into the wilderness
· Revealed scripture through David
· Is received by us
· Gives us power
· Gave the people at Babel the ability to speak in other languages
· Is our advocate, our comforter
· Sends us out
· Makes us overseers of the church
· Pours love into our hearts
· Sanctifies us
· Inspires joy in us
· Resides in our bodies, making us living temples of the holy spirit

I saw the Holy Spirit at work that night so many years ago in the little shower room in Elsin Lodge, giving my mother the strength and wisdom to know what to do, giving my sister the gift of breath, giving me the courage to get out bed and lend some night time comfort.
And I have seen it many times since then.

It isn’t always visible to the naked eye, but if you listen, and pay attention, you will notice that it is breathing life into the world, blowing comfort, courage and strength through our lives.

The Holy Spirit is the active presence of God in creation.

Take some time today and think about and then tell each other about where you’ve witnessed the Holy Spirit working in your lives. I bet you’ll have some steamy stories.