Reason #749
I went home for lunch today, and the sun was shining. It was beautiful and pleasant, and the warm(er) weather was relieving. This has been the longest, coldest winter we’ve had in forever, and I think we’ve all caught the worst case of spring fever this year thanks to the freezing weather that is lingering. I know it’ll warm up eventually, and in about 5 months we’ll be complaining about how hot it is. That’s okay. I’d rather be hot any day!
I remember one of my mentors in college saying that she always felt closer to the Lord in the spring. I think, maybe, we sense Him more because life begins to return. The plants come alive, the daylight lasts longer, and I think you can draw a lot of spiritual parallels that way. From death to life, from darkness to light. And so I always find myself yearning for spring because I, too, feel closer to the Lord in that season. I feel like my heart is refreshed, more open and eager because the dark, bitter days of winter are over.
I always feel that it’s in the spring that the Lord does big things in my life. I don’t know why, but it’s like the ball starts rolling when spring gets here. Maybe it’s because my awareness and optimism increases as the temperature does, but I think back to each year and it seems like spring is always a life-changing season. It seems like March, April and May is when God starts a new work in me.
Maybe that’s what I look most forward to about spring. Maybe, it’s the beginning of a new work. Not just in nature, but a new work in my life. Because, truth be told, as much as I appear to dislike change, I am really grateful for it. Because with change comes growth. When things begin to change in our lives, we can use that opportunity as refinement, and I’ve realized that I learn so much more during the changes than I ever do when things stay the same. Sure, it’s much easier and a lot less stressful to be stagnant, but it’s also less beneficial. Because change is what stretches us to become more. Change shows us what we’re capable of, and change teaches us things we’d never be able to learn otherwise.
And so I think I’m getting ready. Ready for a new work in my life. Ready for a new opportunity to grow. I’ll be eager and anxious to see what it is. I realize most of these opportunities don’t come without their fair share of growing pains, but maybe this new one won’t. I suppose, even if it does, the lesson learned will be worth it. Any new work the Lord does is a good work, even if it isn’t simple. Because if it draws us closer to Him, causes us to look more like Him, then we can be glad for that. After all, He would never bring change into our lives were it not for the better. And when we glorify God through those changes, when we see Him move in new and mighty ways, we realize that new works are one of God’s biggest blessings.
#749 - For new works.
"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." - Philippians 1:6