Episode 34: Spring is Coming!
As I write this, we are halfway through March. The late snow we had last week is now melted—I think our second winter is done—and the meadows and forest are starting to hint at all colors of new green. Promises of what is to come. In town, the saucer magnolias have graced us with pink blossoms and the yellow forsythia has just begun to bloom. Spring is indeed on the way.
And with spring comes spring-cleaning. Time to start airing out the house and finish scooping up the fallen twigs from the last storm. It’s also time to start thinking about planting! I’ve been told that there was once a veggie garden somewhere on the property, but it’s all overgrown now and impossible to find. But that’s ok. I already have my eye on the corner of the yard where that new one is going to be.
CS Lewis said in his book “Miracles”, “When spring comes it ‘leaves no corner of the land untouched’; even a pebble dropped in a pond sends circles to the margin.”
Spring is indeed the season of change. Of new things. Of a land reborn.
On a personal note, I’m looking for spring to come to my soul as well. Lately, the Lord has been showing me how much stress I’ve been carrying in my heart and my mind. The stress that I’ve carried around for far too long has weighed on me like worn-out baggage that’s broken down but I just can’t bear to part with it. While I’ve been able to shed some of that stress, I’m learning I still have much farther to go.
In the garden, I’ve been raking up the fallen twigs from the apple trees, collecting them for a compost pile that will yield glorious black gold soil for the garden. Likewise, the Holy Spirit has been raking up the detritus of past hurts and pressures in my life and showing me how those things came into my life for a reason and how they can in the long run, enrich me into a wiser, deeper, more understanding person.
Psalm 51 is a prayer of restoration written by King David. In those verses, we see that the wise king recognized this very principle that I’m talking about. He prayed: “Surely you desire integrity in the inner self, and you teach me wisdom deep within.” David realized that we can learn from any experience, good or bad. The key is to allow the Holy Spirit to take our hurts, our stresses, our faults and, yes, our past sins, and turn them into deep wisdom and integrity of heart. The Lord will forgive us of our sins and rebuild us into a newer life.
He goes on to say, “Purify me with hyssop and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.” David recognized his sin. He repented and was looking forward to the day when he would hear joy and gladness once again. He was looking forward to a fresh springtime in his soul.
So, my friend, how has life been for you lately? Does it feel inside like your spirit is worn down and your bones have been crushed? If that’s you, David gives us the formula for how to find a fresh new spring in our souls. He asks God to turn his face away from David’s sins and to blot out his guilt. Then he prays: “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of your salvation to me and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.”
My friend, those last two sentences are key to finding a fresh springtime in your heart. Ask God to forgive you, to restore your joy, and to give you a willing heart. It is that willingness to go on that will sustain you through the tough times that lie ahead. That renewed willingness in your heart will help you want to press on with courage. And a life lived courageously is a life that encourages other people.
Then, like a pebble dropped in a pond, the circles you send out will touch everyone around you. And that, if done for the better, is a life well lived with courage, honor and integrity.
That’s all I have for you today, my friends. I hope you’re looking forward to a springtime in your life, in your town, in your soul and in your heart. I love you guys! Have a good day. Bye bye.
