Spring's Song

All the signs of spring are precious. The fearless crocuses pushing up their heads from beneath the earth, sunny daffodils blooming with all their might, golden forsythia spotting the country side, the first robin on the wing… But my favorite part of Spring is the music of the birds. How loud the tree tops are now! compared with their solemn silence of winter.

There are some ways in which I would do well to imitate the birds. Frigid nights and late snowfalls do not dampen their spirits at all. No matter what things may look like you can count on them to keep singing the arrival of Spring, and every year (despite March blizzards!) they are right. I on the other hand far too often take my cue first from my circumstances. As I encounter each new problem; broken relationships, friends gone astray, financial burdens, cancer…from my perspective things can look pretty bleak. I tend to expect bad outcomes rather than glorious ones leaving our mighty God completely out of the picture. Lately God has been answering a few of those ’impossible’ prayers of mine and writing stories of redemption before my very eyes that I would never have imagined. It is making me look differently at the bad stuff in my here and now, and Oh but what a blessing that is!! We don’t know the end of the story because God is not finished yet! NO problem is too complicated NO person beyond His power and grace. We have no idea what amazing things our tomorrow may bring because God is in the business of changing lives and working miracles.

So what ’impossible’ things are you facing right now? I know what mine are! Let’s take them to our gracious Heavenly Father and leave them there. Rest assured that if things do not change it is not because God lacks the power, He simply has a bigger plan. Wait for it. The same way we wait for Spring.

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord - that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” James 5:7-8,11