Spring has arrived in all its glory here in the mountain. The geese are proudly showing off their new goslings, colorful bluebirds and cardinals are busy preparing nests for their young, the cooing of doves is a delightful sound, and the blooming daffodils and tulips are a beautiful reminder of a new season filled with hope and renewal.
Spring will always be my favorite season of the year. There is just something exciting about witnessing the earth waking up to newness of life after a long winter. The daffodils are always the first to poke their heads through the barren winter ground, and shortly after the Canadian geese arrive to begin their mating and nesting season. Each morning I wake up to new vegetation sprouting and trees budding and blossoming across the mountain. It is a sight that never gets old. Every morning I thank God for giving me another spring to see his awesome creation overflowing with beauty and abundance.
Spring always makes me think of Song of Songs 2: 10-13.
“Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.”
Surely heaven must be a little like spring, as we trade in the trials and tribulations of this old world for a new and beautiful beginning. At times life feels like a barren winter season, as this past winter felt like to me. An unexpected breast cancer diagnosis found on a routine mammogram, a dissecting aortic aneurysm unexpectantly taking the life of my 48-year-old son-in-law, my niece rushed to the hospital with a life-threatening health condition, and my aunt taken for emergency surgery for a heart valve replacement.
While the arrival of spring cannot erase all that is happening in life, it is certainly a reminder that hope is alive and barren seasons do not last forever. As we observe Good Friday today and Easter this Sunday, it is another perfect reminder of the new life we have when we accept Christ as our savior. He willingly went to the cross, suffered, and died so we could have eternal life. Now that is newness of life! Praise his name!
As you celebrate Easter this weekend, ponder the precious gift of eternal life that would not be possible if Jesus had not endured the suffering of the cross. Place your hope in him and allow the cares of life to fade away in the light of his marvelous grace. Happy spring and happy Easter!
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
Last week was one of those weeks where life seemed to be spinning out of control with one thing or another from early morning until late at night. Computer malfunctions, crazy work issues, and an unexpected health diagnosis, which will likely require surgery in the near future. Add to that the usual daily distractions of living in a world full of modern technology with the phone ringing, text messages buzzing, and email notification alerts dinging, and you have the perfect description of a chaotic life and the weariness it brings.
After a restless night, I sat down at my desk early one morning and glanced over my planner for the day ready to start the madness all over again with a full to-do list to begin checking off. It was then that it hit me. Life had been so busy and crazy that even my time spent praying and reading the Bible had become little more than an item I checked off my to-do list each day. I had been so distracted by all these other things that I was rushing through my prayer time and scripture reading time. No wonder I felt burdened!
As I looked at my schedule for the day, I decided to cross out everything on my list for the morning and write in teatime with Jesus. It was freeing to clear my morning schedule with the stroke of a pen! Working from home and setting my own hours does have its benefits, and I am grateful I can take a break when needed.
As I began to sip my tea and started to read my Bible, I felt at peace and the stress began to ease. There is nothing like God’s word to bring refreshment and relief from whatever is ailing me. In fact, I often call the Bible my natural prescription for depression and anxiety. However, too often I make a cup of tea and it gets cold before I finish it. Too often I pray and read God’s word in a rush so I can jump into my workday.
Sometimes we just need to sit still and allow God to fill us with his presence. We need to silence the phone and other technology and saturate our minds with God’s truth and love. His word tells us to go to him when we are weary and carry heavy burdens and he will give us rest.
Are you feeling weary and burdened? Jesus is inviting you to bring your cares to him.
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Psalm 95: 6
Thunderstorms moved through the area last night. As I sit on the front porch this morning the sun is glistening through the rain-soaked trees. A light breeze is blowing, sending the sweet fragrance of lavender through the air, and forcing sprinkles of rain to drip from the tree leaves. Bird songs resonate throughout the woods like a symphony from heaven. A meticulously constructed spider web glistens between the porch railing. What an amazing work of art!
Hummingbirds show off their amazing aerial skills as they drink nectar from the flowers and feeders nearby. Lush raspberry vines drip with morning dew while the sparrows dine on their delicious red morsels.
A doe passes
through the front yard with her fawn, and I decide to forgive them for eating
the dahlias and lilies last night while I slept. My little porch garden, renewed
by the rain, looks alive and vibrant. Cherry tomatoes, mini cucumbers, and peppers
sparkle with dew drops. Petunias and marigolds dance in the subtle morning breeze,
their petals stretched toward heaven celebrating the refreshment of last night’s
rain bath.
Nature is on full display in all its glory, as the morning breaks and the sun continues its ascent over the mountainside. Peacefully perfect. This life in the mountain and tranquil mornings spent on the front porch are incredible gifts I never take for granted.
Enthralled by the beauty surrounding me, I linger a little longer on the front porch sipping my tea. I pause to pray and thank God for this blessing. It never gets old. I savor each moment, not wanting to surrender to the daily work and chores that await my attention.
Being surrounded by nature brings refreshment to my weary soul. It is a natural antidepressant and a welcome and needed break from the drain of technology. There is just something about sitting quietly in nature and focusing on the wonderful world God created that puts things into perspective. I feel content and ready to face the day.
There are
many uncertain and troubling things that grab our attention each day and
distractions that lure us away from the beauty God designed. What would happen
if we carved out a few moments to be still before God and behold the beauty
around us? I believe we would feel more grateful, less stressed, and we would
get a fresh vision of God and his goodness.
What can you do today to get a fresh vision of God and celebrate the wonders of his creation?
There is a serene and settled majesty to woodland scenery that enters into the soul and delights and elevates it, and fills it with noble inclinations.
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.
So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
Ephesians 5: 15-17
Are you struggling to stay focused with all the discouraging things going on in the world around you? I know I am. I feel like life has been turned upside down and everything I took for granted has changed.
I had big plans for this month. After working two jobs at home for six years, I was finally able to semi-retire the first of March and cut down to one part-time job. I envisioned getting up early in the morning and spending hours living the life of a writer, working long hours on my book, and taking a walk through the woods when I needed a break. I joined a few groups at my church and was excited I would finally have time to get out of the house a few evenings a week and socialize. I was looking forward to attending my grandchildren’s sporting and school events and have the grandchildren over for sleepovers, which was difficult with my previous work schedule.
My first week of semi-retirement got off to a bad start. Instead of waking up to start working on my book, I woke up not feeling well. A sore throat led to a fever the next day followed by several more days of a bad headache, chills, sweats, exhaustion, and a nagging dry cough that developed on day seven. Whatever I had knocked out my plans for a solid two weeks. My days consisted of going from the chair to the sofa. Week three arrived and I was finally feeling well enough to go out when the COVID-19 virus began ravaging the country. With my low immune system, my doctor advised I limit my outings to a single trip to the grocery store each week and remain at home the rest of the time. No visits from anyone, including children or grandchildren. This was disheartening, as I had already been isolated due to being ill.
I’m used to being at home most of the time due to working from home for six years, and I would rather be home than any other place. That being said, I miss being able to get out for church and lunch with friends, etc. As each day passed, I found myself struggling to get motivated to do much of anything other than watch the news, answer text messages, and talk on the phone with friends and family about what was happening in our world. I lost all desire to write and found myself coming to the end of each day wondering if I had accomplished anything at all. Each evening I had good intentions of starting fresh the next day and being productive. However, when morning arrived, I found myself back in the same dreary cycle of news and phone calls. I found myself feeling grumpy, lonely, and depressed.
My pastor posted a mid-week update online, and it brought a smile to my face when I heard him say, “Don’t waste your quarantine!” It helped me put things in perspective. While this new season of life is anything but normal, I need to choose how I will use my time. I was wasting a lot of time I could have used for doing the work the Lord gave me to do. It was my wake up call.
This morning I woke up to fog and rain. The weather has been dreary more than not the past few weeks. As I looked across the mountain I thought, this is the day the Lord has made. I’m going to choose to rejoice and be glad in it. In the midst of all the uncertainty and discouraging events taking place in our world, I still have so many things to be grateful for. I have food, a home, beautiful scenery outside my window, friends, family, and plenty of things to do.
There are so many positive ways we can use our time wisely while we are practicing social distancing. We should be spending more time praying for our country and for all the healthcare workers and for those who are ill or have loved ones with this virus. We can reach out and encourage someone with a note, an email, or a phone call.
It’s also a good time to do something new to keep our mind focused on positive things. I know a friend who is reading the entire Bible in 90 days. My son-in-law is working on writing the lyrics and music to a song since he isn’t able to be at church practicing with the worship team. Some people are learning to make homemade bread and are doing crafts with their children.
I just signed up for a Bible journaling class online. I’m excited to learn a new hobby that will help me focus on drawing nearer to God through spending time in his word in a creative and artistic way. And I’m going get back to writing my book. There’s no reason to sit around and spend my days in front of the TV or scrolling through the news online. Keeping up with the news is important, but it should not be my main focus. I want to make sure I’m using my time wisely and not foolishly.
These are uncertain times for sure, but we should be making the most of our days, whether we are living with a pandemic raging across our country or not. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow, even when life is going well. If we wake up each day, it means God isn’t finished with us yet. He still has us on this earth for a reason. Only we can decide whether we will choose to use our time wisely or whether we squander it foolishly doing things that distract us from what is truly important.
If you’re quarantined at home, what can you do to use your time wisely? Don’t waste your quarantine!
To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter…to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring – these are some of the rewards of the simple life.