Springtime..my favorite time of year when things come to life in my gardens!!
I love walking through the flower garden and the woodlands as new life emerges. It is amazing to me how quickly after the snow melts that those sweet, tender little crocuses pop their heads and reach for the spring sky with their wispy little leaves so delicate, yet so sturdy to press through the leaves and the snow in some areas of the yard.
[callout]God makes all things new- He tells us that in His word. That is another one of His absolutes; “all things”…even me…? Yes, especially me…!![/callout]
As I put on my garden gloves and grubby gardening clothes and get ready to clear out the leaves and dead growth from last year’s beautiful gardens, I can’t help but think of how God, my Father, does this for me in each season of my life as well. Things that were beautiful, lovely, useful in another season are now dried up, and actually a barrier for the new growth just underneath of it…just out of sight…and if I exert a little effort to obediently take away the lifeless twigs and stalks, I am able to see that much growth has occurred and it’s already leafed out and soon will be a beautiful, full grown flowering plant!
I also look at how during the winter months…during the times of coldness, and seemingly barrenness in all of the garden…there must be much going on under the covering of the snow, in the ground and in the trees…we can’t see it, but we know through science that sap runs in early spring, bringing new life into trees long before they bud. We know that bulbs multiply underground each year, as I only planted three in one area last year and this year I have nearly a dozen!! Could it be, that during those seemingly dormant times in our lives, God is at work in our lives in that same way? Strengthening us, multiplying the beauty under the surface, just out of sight, ready to be called into new growth and new beginnings in His timing? When the temperature is just right, when the sun is at the right angle, when the ground thaws, and there is once again life in the earth…and in us….
The covering of leaves and grass was a protective layer for the plants during winter, but now are actually a barrier to growth. Are there things in my life that I’ve held onto, thinking that they are useful and protective, but are actually hindering me from seeing the amazing new growth just under the surface? Hmmmm….I pray for God to show me if I am!!
As I look at the larger clumps of day lilies, hostas, and phlox, I realize that they have really taken over certain areas of the gardens…and I’ll need to thin them out, giving them away to friends, family and neighbors. Can my life be that way as well? Is God gently showing me areas of overabundance, areas that need pruning, digging up, and replanting into someone else’s garden, or in a new garden space that He’s showing me to create? The beauty of a perennial garden is that there is very little effort needed to sustain these year after year, other than to contain them and keep them from overtaking their space….are there things in my life that God is wanting me to minimize and contain, so that the beauty of other things He has for me can be seen in its entirety? Do I need to clear some space for something else He wants to grow in its space?
I stop to listen to the birds, singing so joyfully over the earth, calling out the life that is in it. And I lift my arms and look heavenward, reminded of how God sang over Judah (Zeph 3:17), and being grafted in (Rom 11:17), he sings over me, too! ….wow, I can feel it in my spirit and joy nearly bursts out of my heart as I bask in the wonder of how God is in such meticulous control of the seasons, the life cycles. His word shows me repeatedly that He’s in control of history…and I rest in the truth that He is control of my history…even right at this moment.
The weeds are already robust as well! I have already pulled a 5 gallon bucket full of dandelions out of my flower beds. There are weeds in my life, too, that survive through seasons and I have to put forth some effort to pull them up by the root. They come back, sometimes in the same spot, or in a slightly different area, but God is able to help me spot them, and guides me to use the tools that are specific to easily pulling them, and helps me to eradicate them from the beautiful garden of my life. Each time, it gets easier, and then after a sprinkling of His grace, the weeds don’t grow in that area anymore. I can stop looking there for them and move on to another garden that needs my attention. The blooms and beauty are in God’s hands and He makes the most beautiful arrangements!
I saw my first butterfly a couple of days ago…and I was shocked that it was a tiny blue duster…as I have historically, for the past 3 consecutive springs, seen two mourning cloaks as my first butterflies of the year – a gentle reminder that God is with me, knows my heart, and loves me so!! Could this season be new on many fronts? [callout]Could He be up to making all things new once again? I want to watch and follow His lead….!!![/callout]