Springing to Life

Plants are growing, birds are singing, spring is here! What lessons can we learn about life, death and resurrection from the natural world around us?

Resources

Resurrection Letters - Andrew Peterson

Sing: Spring Songs - Ellie Holcomb

Doug Tallamy and Homegrown National Park

@thisistrustworthy

trustworthypodcast.com

Email us listen@trustworthypodcast.com

Transcript

0.000000 7.000000 We can see so much of our story in creation.
7.000000 12.500000 There are times in our life where things will seem dead, and we can't see any growth.
12.500000 17.000000 But we have to trust that things are happening underneath the surface.
17.000000 20.000000 Is God trustworthy?
20.000000 22.000000 Hi, I'm Sarah.
22.000000 24.000000 And I'm Mary Beth.
24.000000 29.000000 Join us as we seek to answer this question through whole-hearted conversation.
29.000000 35.000000 Discover the wit and wisdom that comes from being anchored in Christ and connected to one another.
35.000000 38.000000 This is Trustworthy.
52.000000 61.000000 Let's start with Hello. Hello, Sarah. Well, hello there, Mary Beth.
61.000000 65.000000 It's so unusual to be greeted by you at the beginning of a podcast.
65.000000 67.000000 It certainly is.
67.000000 70.000000 Sometimes I get tired of saying the same thing.
70.000000 74.000000 And sometimes I wish I'd come up with something more original than they began.
74.000000 80.000000 But it wouldn't be trustworthy if it wasn't me saying, "Well, hello there, Mary Beth.
80.000000 87.000000 It's a trustworthy greeting. Get it? I get it. We're awake. We're chipper. We got humor today.
87.000000 90.000000 We're feeling punchy. We are feeling punchy.
90.000000 94.000000 Not sure which definition of we're punchy.
94.000000 96.000000 But we're here.
96.000000 107.000000 I am pretty excited today because outside my window, I see sun and blue skies.
107.000000 112.000000 Which was not the case yesterday, no, or many of the previous days.
112.000000 122.000000 And it just so happens that it is now spring, officially, officially spring, which is so good.
122.000000 128.000000 And we get to talk today about new life.
128.000000 132.000000 One of the best parts of spring certainly is.
132.000000 139.000000 And we had one of those random 70-degree days in the last couple weeks.
139.000000 144.000000 And I had not realized how much the winter weather was affecting me until we had this beautiful
144.000000 150.000000 day. I was like, "No white with seven drawers dancing around and doing my little chores
150.000000 155.000000 and the flowers with the daffodils have been popping up." And I was like, "This is amazing."
155.000000 157.000000 So yeah, I'm glad it's spring.
157.000000 164.000000 That's awesome. Which of the seven doors were your husband and two boys?
164.000000 166.000000 I plead the fifth on that.
166.000000 167.000000 Okay.
167.000000 169.000000 It's like one of those online polls that you take.
169.000000 171.000000 Which of the seven doors are you?
171.000000 173.000000 Well, often I'm sneezing in the spring.
173.000000 176.000000 I'm definitely grumpy until the spring.
176.000000 177.000000 Oh, there you go.
177.000000 180.000000 Maybe I changed dwarf identities.
180.000000 184.000000 I thought about this because I'm a person that enjoys being outside.
184.000000 187.000000 I like to garden. I love flowers.
187.000000 189.000000 I love plants. I love the woods.
189.000000 191.000000 I like to ride my bike in the woods.
191.000000 192.000000 I like to hike.
192.000000 194.000000 I like being outside.
194.000000 199.000000 And I get to spend some time outside in all kinds of seasons.
199.000000 209.000000 And it always meses me how even in the dead of winter there's the promise of new life
209.000000 212.000000 that God has woven into his creation.
213.000000 221.000000 When the leaves fall and the weather gets colder and the snow comes,
221.000000 225.000000 it's a blanket for creation.
225.000000 231.000000 I realize not everybody lives in an area that has the four seasons, but I do.
231.000000 236.000000 And I'm not sure if I could ever live in an area that doesn't for this particular reason.
236.000000 244.000000 I love to see the snow on the ground because I know that it's blanketing things underneath that are just waiting,
244.000000 247.000000 biting their time, conserving their resources.
247.000000 251.000000 I just think that's such a beautiful picture of God's created world.
251.000000 257.000000 In the deep dark winter, creation is just marshalling its resources.
257.000000 264.000000 And then sometime in February starts to get a little warmer.
264.000000 267.000000 That starts flowing in the maple trees.
267.000000 274.000000 And we get delicious maple syrup, which I just had the chance to be at the maple festival
274.000000 276.000000 where I grew up last weekend.
276.000000 277.000000 It was amazing.
277.000000 278.000000 Lots of delicious syrup.
278.000000 281.000000 But spring is coming.
281.000000 283.000000 New life is coming.
283.000000 289.000000 And sure enough, just like he said, the daffodils start blooming.
289.000000 296.000000 The buds start returning. The maple trees are some of the first, the little red buds on the maple trees.
296.000000 302.000000 And then I've already seen some skunk cabbage coming up, which is a native plant.
302.000000 306.000000 I know it sounds disgusting, but it is a good native plant.
306.000000 310.000000 If you see that along your stream banks, folks, don't get rid of it.
310.000000 312.000000 It means a healthy ecosystem.
312.000000 322.000000 Pretty soon in this area in southern Chester County, all of our little spice bushes are going to get these gorgeous bright green little buds on them.
322.000000 329.000000 And pretty soon all the other native trees, the dogwoods are going to start to bud.
329.000000 330.000000 Very, very exciting.
330.000000 336.000000 It's like this show that God is putting on for us.
336.000000 346.000000 In my family, we're pretty focused on native plants, plants that are supposed to be growing in the area where you live.
346.000000 349.000000 Things that we're here for thousands of years.
349.000000 356.000000 And typically these are things that are enjoyed by deer and bunnies and the native creatures.
356.000000 358.000000 Sometimes they need a little protection.
358.000000 367.000000 But these are things that sustain life, for example, the spice bushes is the host plant for the spice bush swallowtail butterfly.
367.000000 374.000000 The May apples, which are those awesome little umbrella plants that get the little white flower and then the little apple.
374.000000 376.000000 Those are food for box turtles.
376.000000 377.000000 And the list goes on.
377.000000 385.000000 And I just love being able to have those types of plants and support the creative world.
385.000000 387.000000 It's absolutely amazing.
387.000000 392.000000 Before I get too far to my passion for more about plants than I do.
392.000000 395.000000 Anyway, let's, before we go too far down that road.
395.000000 404.000000 I've been thinking a lot this season of lent about the things in my life that sometimes seem like they're dead.
404.000000 410.000000 Desires and hopes that I've given up relationships that are broken.
410.000000 415.000000 Just sin maybe that we've talked a lot about conviction and confession lately.
415.000000 421.000000 Sin maybe that I've been unwilling or unable to move past.
421.000000 427.000000 And I just think this promise of new life, Mary Beth, is just so appropriate right now.
427.000000 431.000000 It ties in perfectly with the fact that Easter is on its way.
431.000000 437.000000 One of my favorite things that God has given us where we live is this change of seasons.
437.000000 448.000000 Because as you're saying, it is a physical reminder in our world around us that there are times in our life where things will seem dead.
448.000000 450.000000 And we can't see any growth.
450.000000 454.000000 But we have to trust that things are happening underneath the surface.
454.000000 459.000000 That hope is still there that spring is coming.
459.000000 465.000000 All of that is such a great reminder from our natural world that God created with intention.
465.000000 469.000000 And it's yet another thing that we get to benefit from.
469.000000 477.000000 As his people, we've talked on recent episodes about how this has been a rough winter and a lot of different ways.
477.000000 482.000000 And in my life, it's a lot of it's related to work and relationships.
482.000000 494.000000 And I want something to show me that hope that spring is coming that life is going to come from these things that I'm not going to be stuck in quote unquote winter forever.
494.000000 498.000000 Always winter and never Christmas remains.
498.000000 500.000000 Yeah, I know it's in the wardrobe.
500.000000 504.000000 Well, Mary Beth, I have a little piece of hope that I'm going to interject right here.
504.000000 507.000000 Isaiah 43, 18 to 19.
507.000000 509.000000 Forget the former things.
509.000000 511.000000 Do not dwell on the past.
511.000000 514.000000 See, I am doing a new thing.
514.000000 516.000000 Now it springs up.
516.000000 518.000000 Do you not perceive it?
518.000000 523.000000 I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
523.000000 538.000000 You were talking about all of these lovely things that are growing and budding and I can dwell on the past of my failed gardening experiments since we've lived here.
538.000000 546.000000 Oh, I do not have a green thumb and I also do not have the patience and dedication to be a good gardener.
546.000000 554.000000 So when I think about not dwelling on the past, it doesn't matter how badly my garden has failed.
554.000000 560.000000 I was just thinking yesterday, do I really want to go through the effort doing the garden this year?
560.000000 562.000000 Do I really want to try to grow stuff?
562.000000 568.000000 Because like you're saying, we have a Disney feature film of backyard creatures.
568.000000 577.000000 Boxes, moles, rabbits, deer, squirrels, birds, my own dog, everything that likes to destroy what we're trying to grow.
577.000000 578.000000 A circle of life.
578.000000 579.000000 There you go.
579.000000 581.000000 Disney inadvertently preaching the gospel.
581.000000 591.000000 Yeah, and so it makes me think, okay, if I'm not going to dwell on the failures of the past, looking towards new things to continue the garden metaphor.
591.000000 606.000000 There are some fencing I can put up some protection for my plants, some garlic I can sprinkle around to make the animals not as attracted to what I am trying to grow.
606.000000 613.000000 I'm wondering if there's some spiritual analogy there in our spring evaluation.
613.000000 622.000000 Yeah, I have an analogy and I'm going to just get a little nerdy again. In our area, there is a noxious weed called garlic mustard.
622.000000 627.000000 It is a bianneal flowering plant. In other words, it flowers in its second year.
627.000000 632.000000 It's first year. It just grows fully. It's second year flowers, seeds. Each plant throws out 600 seeds.
632.000000 641.000000 We were just removing this actually at the local park as part of our trail core for our bite club. Anyway, long story short, this stuff just takes over.
641.000000 650.000000 And it simplifies the soil. So it basically chokes out native growing plants. One of our favorite native plants is wild ginger.
650.000000 659.000000 It supports a variety of creatures and it's also very beautiful. But the deer absolutely love it because they've been living with it for years and sits very tasty.
659.000000 674.000000 So there was a study done recently and I learned about this through Doug Talmay, who is a professor and scientist at University of Delaware. But someone set up a deer exclusion area, which is basically just a fence that deer can't get through.
674.000000 686.000000 And they planted half was garlic mustard and half of it was wild ginger. And they said, OK, let's see what happens. If deer can't eat the wild ginger, let's just see what happens.
686.000000 695.000000 Because normally the garlic mustard will decimate the wild ginger. It just disappears. So after a period of 10 years, it took some time.
695.000000 707.000000 There was no garlic mustard in this deer excluded area at all. The wild ginger had completely taken over the invasive toxic plant.
707.000000 728.000000 And the analogy that I see here is if we can guard our heart, if we can call on the protection of the Lord, if we can rely on him to hammer us in behind him before and keep ourselves from things that would come and steal from us.
728.000000 742.000000 Then our faith, our spiritual growth can continue and can flourish and can help push out all of those noxious weeds that grow up in our lives.
742.000000 754.000000 And it might take some time. Yeah. It might take some time. But it's important. I think those those protections are something that God instructs us and as well. Yeah, for our good.
754.000000 771.000000 Yeah, my favorite verse from Proverbs, Proverbs 423, "Guard your heart above all else for it determines the course of your life." And even in Job, when Satan approaches the Lord, he knows before all of the calamity comes and he's asking basically permission.
771.000000 781.000000 He says to the Lord, have you not put a hedge around him in his house and all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land.
781.000000 794.000000 Then of course he goes on to ask if he can basically take it all away. The point there that I'm getting to slowly is that there is an acknowledgement even from the enemy when their protections up.
794.000000 803.000000 He knows he can't penetrate whatever protection the Lord puts up to go back to the chronicles of Narnia that you mentioned.
803.000000 825.000000 It reminds me of when Aslan goes to the White Witches Castle and makes everything come alive again. It's like the gates of hell cannot overcome the power of the Lord. So the no defense from the enemy is powerful enough to stop what the Lord is doing and no defense of the Lord is not powerful enough to stop what the enemy is doing.
825.000000 843.000000 Apologies for the double negative. Yes, Miss Grammar. I think it's important to just reiterate that thought. The war is one. We will face battles. We will face trials. And this is why it's important to put on the full armor of God.
843.000000 867.000000 Satan is a tempter. Well, he's been described like a prowling lion, but he can't do anything to our immortal soul. He tries, but I think it's important for us as Christians to remember that nothing he can do on his own strength can ever snatch us out of the hand of God.
867.000000 877.000000 And so resting in that, I think, is always helpful. So we've got things that are growing. We've got protection.
877.000000 887.000000 There also is work in the garden. We're just going to continue with this garden thing. We're just rolling with it. Let's do it. Sometimes you have to prune a trim.
887.000000 902.000000 Yeah, and take care of your plants. Jesus talks about it. John, I am the true vine. And my father is a husband. And it goes on to explain if you abide in me in the vine, if you get your source for me, then you will have life.
902.000000 912.000000 And if you don't, then you'll be pruned off and thrown into the fire. I think about that pruning and how it can often be extremely painful.
912.000000 925.000000 God sometimes allows things to happen to us to bring us closer to him to help us grow more into the people that he has called us to be and that he knows we are.
925.000000 933.000000 I remember a place I worked years ago was surrounded by rose bushes. Those were all pretty pink knockout roses.
933.000000 946.000000 And they were just prolific. And I loved them so much. And I would cut bouquets and put them on my desk. One spring are very sweet maintenance man went out and cut them to the ground left, maybe six inches.
946.000000 954.000000 And I was like, what did you do? And he's like, don't worry. Don't worry. It's sure enough.
954.000000 966.000000 That year they just came back in full force. The growth was amazing. And the blooms were just such a joy. And I think about that great vines the same way.
966.000000 976.000000 Cut back all the growth to be able to get more grapes. I don't own a vineyard. Actually, we joke that we have a micro vineyard because we have three grape vines or something.
976.000000 988.000000 So instead of a micro brewery, we're a micro vineyard. Yeah. Okay. Not making wine yet, folks. Maybe just enough for communion. Like one little communion couple. Yeah, squeeze a grape. Yeah.
988.000000 1003.000000 But the point here is that we can see so much of our story in creation. Paul was writing to the Romans. And he talks about being dead to sin.
1003.000000 1015.000000 And I'm actually just going to start. This is Romans six. I'm just going to start with verse four. It really ties in with our conviction and confession episodes. Okay. There we go.
1015.000000 1025.000000 What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase by no means. We are those who have died to sin.
1025.000000 1036.000000 How can we live in any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
1036.000000 1052.000000 We were there for buried with him through baptism into death. In order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
1052.000000 1063.000000 The old has gone. The new has come. What a promise that is Mary Beth. Especially as we are approaching Easter.
1063.000000 1075.000000 And our minds often turn to these things of death and resurrection. And what's the significance of that? What does it mean for us and what is the truth of it?
1075.000000 1086.000000 It's beautiful that we celebrate it during this season of spring where we have visual reminders of death, burial and resurrection all around us in nature. Yeah.
1086.000000 1093.000000 And that it's not just for the plants. It's for us too.
1093.000000 1104.000000 I mean, there's the verses from Matthew 6. Consider the lilies of the field. How they grow. They neither toil nor spin yet. I tell you even Solomon and all his glory was not a raid like one of these.
1104.000000 1115.000000 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven will he not much more clothes you owe you a little faith.
1115.000000 1139.000000 When we know Christ in his death, we know Christ in his resurrection, we see more clearly that this worry about the future or concerned for things like clothing and provision become much smaller and light of his glory and grace.
1139.000000 1150.000000 Ren say that old him turn your eyes upon Jesus look full and it's wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
1150.000000 1154.000000 There's other music we were thinking of.
1154.000000 1164.000000 You and I both have a common thread of music and poetry is kind of speaking to us and hammering home some of these things.
1164.000000 1173.000000 How when we are thinking about poetry for this episode, we both pulled out the same book. The same vintage poetry book.
1173.000000 1176.000000 Yes, from the 30s or 6.
1176.000000 1188.000000 I don't know if there was ever any more suited co-hosts for a podcast. I don't know who they would be married about. Sometimes it gets a little weird.
1188.000000 1200.000000 You know, I look for confirmation from the Lord in lots of different ways and I think that us having the same vintage poetry book is probably another confirmation from God that yes, yes, we are supposed to be co-hosts on podcast.
1200.000000 1201.000000 Right.
1201.000000 1213.000000 Anyway, a fun and more recent take on some poetry and music is this really cute song that we cannot play for you folks, although we will put a link to it.
1213.000000 1229.000000 But Ellie Holcomb has some great music out for kids and Mary Beth, would you please read the lyrics to this really fun song sure well, she has a new album that just came out March 24 called sing spring songs.
1229.000000 1236.000000 So these are the lyrics from the title track spring sings so I'll just read part of it.
1236.000000 1248.000000 Spring retells the story of God's son who died was buried for three days, but then came alive. So spring sings the song death isn't the end God loves to make everything new once again.
1248.000000 1260.000000 And guess what the spring song it lives on in you because God wants to bring new life to you to spring sings a song steady and true to remind every heart that God makes all things new.
1260.000000 1281.000000 Christ died, but he's risen he's risen indeed and the spring sings about it every flower and seed so on dark days when it feels like winter won't end remember that spring song is coming again every bird every bloom every bright butterfly sings a song of God's love that brings all things to life.
1281.000000 1289.000000 And we're all invited to dance and to sing for the joy and the hope in the song of the spring.
1289.000000 1302.000000 I like that I realized that it was meant to be for children, but I I really like it. That's how I feel about most of her children's albums I listen to them on my own in addition with my kids.
1302.000000 1310.000000 Yes, sometimes the simplicity of the truth is what our hearts need to hear to absolutely same with Randall good game slugs and bugs.
1310.000000 1322.000000 Yeah, this really also ties back into our recent episodes when we were talking about God meeting our needs out of the abundance the loads of the field are closed.
1322.000000 1333.000000 Even though they're only here for a short time the prayers episode that we just had and just recounting the ways that God provides for us out of his bounty.
1333.000000 1343.000000 And so sometimes we feel and again this could be the enemy coming the little foxes on the vine that it talks about and song a song and like coming to steal our joy.
1343.000000 1357.000000 So I feel like there's a shortage of everything but there's not or so much for us if we just open our hearts and open our eyes to see the goodness of the Lord and the things that he has for us.
1357.000000 1368.000000 They also have been thinking a lot about which areas of my life have I given up on or which things in my life have I felt were dead.
1368.000000 1372.000000 And have I seen new life in that area.
1372.000000 1380.000000 There is a particular relationship that I have in my life that I've had for.
1380.000000 1393.000000 Let's see how old am I anyway and it is a relationship that has been through a lot of changes and ups and downs and when you know someone that long obviously things change.
1393.000000 1406.000000 And because of brokenness because of the fall I guess I would say relationship can't be what I would wish it to be.
1406.000000 1419.000000 But there's a glimmer of hope there has been a very slight line of communication and I've been able to express my love and my care.
1419.000000 1436.000000 And that's that's a little tiny green shoot coming up out of a dry and broken ground even though it's still is maybe not what I would hope it is still more than what it was.
1436.000000 1446.000000 And it is I pray honest way to restoration and someday there will be complete restoration.
1446.000000 1452.000000 I don't know if that's here or if it's going to be there, but I hold on to that.
1452.000000 1463.000000 Is there anything in your life, Mary Beth, I've kind of put you on the spot, but or maybe there was a time in your life where you sort of gave up on something and then suddenly it's bring back to life.
1463.000000 1468.000000 On a much shallower level.
1468.000000 1475.000000 Please go ahead. So it's just actually talking to my sister about this more accurately she was talking to my boys about this.
1475.000000 1484.000000 I did a couple of musicals in high school and really loved it.
1484.000000 1492.000000 Always kind of had the back of my mind like that was like fun. I like to you know do that kind of stuff again fast forward about 15 years.
1492.000000 1497.000000 And one of the places that I had the pleasure of working.
1497.000000 1504.000000 The culture there was one of very good humor and at our annual it is a nonprofit our annual dinner every year.
1504.000000 1513.000000 The organization makes like a parody film of like a famous film to kind of talk about yeah our organization so.
1513.000000 1523.000000 That year we did a Casablanca themed. And so I got to be inward bourbon in our like little organizations movie and it was hilarious and fun.
1523.000000 1529.000000 And I sent the you know like the YouTube clip to my family and my mom immediately of course is all moms would do.
1529.000000 1535.000000 I always hope that you'd be able to you know do the acting thing again and just have fun with it.
1535.000000 1537.000000 So it's like little things like that.
1537.000000 1547.000000 My sister was saying I should look at a community theater again just little things like that that you kind of enjoy maybe when you're young and you think that was just something I did as a kid.
1547.000000 1555.000000 But you know what God can bring it back and just let you know now that you've sort of I was going for the real serious deep stuff but now that you've.
1555.000000 1563.000000 I gave you a light one you did I've actually oh my goodness I'm just thinking of all sorts of things like mountain biking.
1563.000000 1572.000000 I did it when I was in college and then didn't for 20 years and then now all sudden here I am doing it again and I love it yeah or just.
1572.000000 1584.000000 Any of those passions I hope that I have a chance to play golf again and also start playing my guitar and singing again I mean those aren't things I can do now.
1584.000000 1590.000000 Because you just can't do everything at the same time right but maybe someday there's hope for those things that's hobbies.
1590.000000 1597.000000 It doesn't have to be a oh I used to do this that's still part of still part of you.
1597.000000 1604.000000 So you're still a musical theater girl still a theater nerd.
1604.000000 1623.000000 That is a fun one give few episodes ago we talked about recounting the good work that God is doing and I think this is another way that this new life can be remembered and recounted when we talk about the ways that God has been faithful and as we are
1623.000000 1639.000000 pruning a bush or cutting back dead growth from the previous year so that the new life can spring forth in our garden just also thinking about the ways that God continually brings dead things back to life in our lives.
1639.000000 1654.000000 You're really beautiful thought and when we should be sharing as we look towards Easter which will be coming soon as you're listening to this podcast.
1654.000000 1665.000000 Think about the things in your life that maybe have seemed dead and dry and barren and cling to that hope.
1665.000000 1678.000000 The hope that may be still sleeping in the ground but that will spring the life someday and to focus on that there's some resources that we're going to put in our show notes.
1678.000000 1689.000000 Of course the songs that we mentioned and also there's beautiful collection of music from Andrew Peterson called resurrection letters.
1689.000000 1705.000000 I would just encourage anyone to listen to that this time of year and I want to also mention or promise that we have that comes from the very beginning of God's word in Genesis 822.
1705.000000 1718.000000 As long as the earth endures seed time and harvest cold and heat summer and winter day and night will never cease.
1718.000000 1747.000000 Hey y'all Mary Beth here Sarah and I are so glad that you chose to listen to our podcast and while we think that we're awesome friends to have we just wanted to clarify that we are not mental health professionals and want you to know that this podcast should not take the place of any paid professional advice.
1747.000000 1748.000000 additional advice.