Springtime in March 2019
It’s March here in Pennsylvania which means that the snow is almost completely melted, everything is saturated, water is running in every crack and cranny… and our little white dog is perpetually splattered in mud.
It’s been a long winter... not quite as long as some years ... nevertheless, we are eager for warmer weather and the sun to bring some energy to our winter weary souls.
Every year I am taken aback when I see the first tulips and daffodils poking their heads above the dirt. Their return never ceases to astound me. Something deep within me stirs and slowly rises to life. Hope.
Hope… such a powerful force to break through the hardest of soils, the hardest of hearts… the messiest situations.
I have the privilege of serving all types of people on a weekly basis. About two months ago, one broken-hearted mommy of three little ones searched me out on a particular morning and with trembling lips, uttered her worst fear... her husband was involved in an affair, he had moved out and she was now alone with three pairs of little eyes looking for her to speak life into their mess.
“How will I do this??” she begged and sobbed in my arms.
I was acutely aware that I couldn’t give her the words she desperately wanted to hear. I could not tell her that all would be fine and it would all turn out ok. Those words may have immediately slowed the rushing flow of tears but would have been like putting a bandaid on a dangling limb.
I turned to breathe and to find a sense of inner peace before I began open heart surgery on this precious mom… and as I paused, I caught a glimpse of the landscaping around the entire perimeter of our building.
The mulch where the daffodils and tulips lay dormant and still… deep in the midst of winter. “Sweetie, do you remember what this place looks like in springtime? Do you remember the beautiful tulips and daffodils that sit all along these beds? Today, you can’t see them because it’s winter. It’s the season where they exist ... deep below the ground ... where God works in the dark, sorting out the mysteries of life. But I promise you… spring will come.” It was the beginning of a long road to finding truth and hope in the midst of pain and heartache.
Hope serves to gently ease the Great Physician’s hand as He moves forward to begin the work of restoration and healing. Hope takes our focus and shifts it beyond our present circumstances - to a place deep within the heart of our Creator - where the impossible is made possible through Him. Hope sustains our winter weary hearts knowing Spring comes. Always. Truth sown will grow. What we sow, we will reap…
Today, I’m not sure what season you find yourself in… if it’s planting season - plant well! Sow seeds of good friendships, grace, mercy, faithfulness, and loyalty… Sow seeds of deep faith, deep love, deep truth… Let them become anchors for the seasons to come. We are promised that in this world - we WILL have trouble… not “if”... So if you find yourself in planting season, plant well!
If you find yourself in Summer… keep on! Keep on pruning, tending, nurturing - keep your eyes alert for anything that may come to steal, kill or destroy. Take note of what you may have missed during planting season and see if you can tuck those seeds in before winter arrives! Study, learn, examine… ask for wisdom, seek out knowledge and get understanding at any cost (Proverbs 4:7).
If you find yourself in the midst of Autumn harvest - be blessed. Sometimes, that’s a crazy season where everything feels full to overflowing and that alone might just send some of us creeping to the deep end… But maybe the harvest is small and pitiful and we just shake our heads in confusion as to why? How did we end up with this to show for all our efforts.
May I remind you that Winter comes… the season where the miraculous can happen. Where the timeline of Heaven doesn’t meticulously follow the seasons in the natural... Plant. Go humble. Dig deep. Hunker down. Spring comes. The promises of Heaven don’t happen overnight. They are sown, germinated, and brought to life by the Creator of all - who cheers us on with the greatest of all desires to see us flourish and grow.
So, find His Word. Sow it deeply... Plant promise after promise deeply into your heart. Surround yourself with people who will sow truth into you. And believe. Know that you were created for this time... Regardless of your season - hang on to Hope!
…. And today, look for the tips of the springtime flowers! Wherever they've been planted… it’s time for them to shine!
