I love spring. It’s like the world suddenly wakes up from a nap that went on for just a little too long. Or we move from black and white to techno-color…
Trees begin to bloom, grass is green again, birds come together chitter-chattering like long-lost family members gathering for a summer reunion. People remember that they actually enjoy being outside. Kids ride bikes. Adults rediscover walking, and messing with the lawn and neighbors they may not have even seen since fall. Grills get dusted off and fired up. Spring just feels like a good mood to me.
I think God is a lot like Spring.
Before I really understood my relationship to Him, life was (I don’t know if I can explain it, but I’ll try): “darker” somehow… a little bit less “awake.” You know when you watch a movie that starts with a flashback – you can sense the difference in the whole atmosphere, not just the picture color. The music, the clothing, the décor…it may even feel a little bit “slow” – then suddenly — BAM! You’re thrust into present day! Everything changes! Your eyes go wide. Every one of your senses suddenly seems hyper-alert.You breath in deep as if that one action will completely restore any time you might have lost.
Does that resonate with anyone besides me? I guess I’m half putting myself in a Back to the Future-kind-of-movie and half in the above picture (where I bumped into a lady getting our mail the other day and suddenly we both said, “Wow, it’s finally spring! Just look at the trees!”) and half 20+ years ago when I came to a very personal understanding of how God wanted to relate to me. Ok, 33.33% all the way around, but you know what I mean. Anyone?…
The other thing that I love about spring, is it just feels like prime time for a fresh start.
We’re closing the books on the previous year; a good three month’s in to our New Year’s resolutions (which, we’ve surely mastered!), financials have gotten a good, thorough review (perhaps this was part of the aforementioned) and we are preparing to file those taxes if we haven’t already. And, of course, there is SPRING CLEANING! Everything gets it: the house, the car, the office, the boat, the kids, the spouse – you name it! If it can in any way be polished, sorted or tidied up a bit, it is happening (sorry, honey).
God is so like that too!
In fact, He is the King of fresh starts. Just ask David. Or Paul. Or the woman at the well…
He has given me more fresh starts than I can count. Most of the time I remember to be grateful for them. Other times, I’m just thankful that He gives us things like “spring”…which is a perfect reminder.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19
