The tree in front of our house appears dark and bare against a gray sky. It looks dead; yet by the time you read this it will be full of pink blossoms.
The dry, brown grass will turn green and life will begin to flourish once again. The transformation lifts my spirits. Spring brings new lambs, calves and colts to farmers and ranchers and fawns, kits and cubs to the fields and bush. So much new life all at once!
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Do you ever wonder why God gave us seasons? Do you ever wonder why we don't have just one season and let it go at that? I don't think our Creator lets anything just "go at that." Every single thing He makes is interesting and awesome-because He is interesting and awesome.
Planting and harvesting come in different seasons. Spring is the time for seeds to go into the ground so that miracles can take place. Last year I put together a game for my class. We matched seeds with their fruits or vegetables. Some were obvious, but none of them looked like the final product. Just like a tiny apple seed grows into a whole tree full of apples, Jesus died to become our seed, and multitudes now have eternal life. We celebrate Easter in the spring because Jesus went down into the ground as a seed and rose again as our Savior.
Our lives consist of seasons. I wish I could be as smart as I am now in my 70s and start once again with the spring of life. I would know how to raise my children; I would care for others instead of being so selfish. I could bypass all the mistakes I've made in life. I wouldn't be easily deceived because I would have already learned hard lessons. That sounds good, but I am human and life doesn't work like that, so I am looking forward to another kind of spring. Instead of dreading the winter of my life when things look difficult, I would like to focus my thoughts on Solomon's words.
"See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling: my beautiful one, come with me. "(Song of Songs 2:11-13)
Jesus will call us home one day, but no matter what season we are going through, we can enjoy His life now and then go to be with Him for eternity. When we allow ourselves to be planted in Him, instead of ourselves, we experience the fruit of His Holy Spirit. Our seeds look nothing like His fruit. God's fruit is love. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)
Well, after reading that last scripture, it seems that I may not be as smart as I thought I was; I may still need to do some spring gardening. Happy Spring Everyone! y
Sue Carlisle grew up on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. An enrolled member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, her passion is to encourage people to look at creation and see our awesome Creator. Sue is author of Walking with the Creator Along the Narrow Road (see page 19). She and her husband, Wes, now live in Thunder Bay,
