Driving from the mailbox one afternoon last month, Bubba and I stopped to note the beauty all around us. As we drove down the gravel drive bisecting our two front pastures, we could see spring was fixin’ to be in full bloom. The Hairy Vetch with its delicate purple flowers, crimson and white cloud clover, native bluebonnets, and Indian paintbrush were starting to open and usher in spring. Rain, mixed with warmer weather, signals my dormant pastures to renew themselves in color. The lush, dark green grasses, the colorful blooming legumes and native plants all remind me of King Solomon’s poetic description in the Song of Solomon 2:11-12 (NKJV). “For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.”
Granted, the returning barn swallows with their mud nests don’t bring to mind the gentle cooing of turtledoves. More, they flitter about, performing the work of building their home to prepare for soon-to-arrive hatchlings. As they sing and dive bomb the barn cats, I feel a sense of newness building up in my heart. It is that sense of renewal―the bringing about of all things fresh and new―that causes me to associate spring with my journey in faith.
Spring reminds me that just as all things in God’s creation blooms and returns from their dormant winter season, we humans can do the same. While this time of year is busiest around the ranch, I still choose spring to seek spiritual renewal. A new devotional, Bible study, or more time in prayer; I use this time of year to seek spiritual growth, so I might bring God a better harvest in my fall season of life.
How does God show the spirit of renewal in your life? Share on XBefore new life emerges from my spring pastures, I have to till the soil, fertilize, and apply herbicide to prepare it for when the time to grow arrives. I must apply these same principles to my spiritual life if I want an abundant harvest. I must feed my soul with God’s word, His people, and His presence. Seeking help from the Holy Spirit to bring new gifts and maturation of existing spiritual gifts, I can weed out those chinks in my spiritual armor.
With each passing year, I sometimes wonder if I’ve grown enough, if I’ve given God the best opportunity to use me in His service. Here at the Cross-Dubya ranch, some harvests are better than others. Still, each year, we sow, harvest, and prepare for the next crop―whatever that might be.
I pray this spring season brings a new sense of renewal in your spiritual and family lives. I hope you’ll join me in asking God to help you achieve the growth He has planned for you this spring.
God’s blessings…
J. D., I love the reminders of new life and new growth in the spring. Thank you for using that to challenge us to continue to grow too.
Thank you Ms. Debbie. We can never stop growing and learning can we ma’am? Loved your blog post this week ma’am. I hope many of my readers and friends follow your blog also. I always learn new things from them.
Thank you, J. D.
Just like soil needs tending to bring new growth, our hearts and souls and minds need tending. We need to place ourselves in God’s Word every day. Beautiful message J.D.
We sure do Ms. Melissa. Thank you so much for your comments and encouragement ma’am. God’s blessings!
You painted a beautiful picture of spring on your farm, J.D. I could see the flowers in bloom and those pesky barn swallows dive bombing those precious kitties. Renewing our walk with Christ along with a familiar verse makes this one of my favorites!
What kindness Ms. LuAnn; thank you ma’am. I see you’re familiar with barn swallows. 🙂 Isn’t it amazing how a verse from God’s word can bring different messages to different people. I like to think that’s why I consider God’s word never-ending; as each time I study it, I learn something new. As Romans 12:2 is wont to tell us, we are constantly renewing our minds with it.
In Africa, “Spring” marks the early beginnings of the cold season, when no rain falls and the plants turn brown. Still, the coolness is refreshing after a hot, wet, humid “Winter” in the southern hemisphere. The grass and maize finishing and turning brown also reminds us of the death of our Lord Jesus. Dead because of our sin, buried, out of sight.
But praise God for Easter, no matter what clime. Up from the grave He arose! In splendor and glory, a sure promise for all who have trusted in Him for salvation.
Amen. No matter the climate or the country… God is always God.
This is a great perspective, J.D.
When we find ourselves in winter seasons of our lives or faith, how many of us long for Spring, but don’t make the preparations for Spring? This has really given me something to think about. Thanks so much for posting this insight.
Thanks for sharing Pastor Joshua. Am honored by your comment, and humbled by your wisdom sir. Sometimes, in my life anyway, it seems that during my “winter season” I spent more time lamenting the fact it was winter than I did preparing for the new growth of my “spring season” that was coming. Forest and trees perhaps. God’s blessings sir.
I love the metaphors that nature shares with us. Renewing of our hearts and minds at springtime is a wonderful example. Like you, I pray that as God brings forth the lovely flowers, the fresh and sweet smelling hay, and the bountiful blessings of our gardens, that we can also be renewed in Christ and can share the blessings with others.
Thank you so much for this comment Ms. Katherine. Am thrilled to know that someone else “gets me.” God uses nature to talk with me every day it seems. Whether a breathtaking, beautiful sunrise or the fleeting life cycle of one of His creations to remind me that “… I am but a vapor”, He finds ways to speak to our hearts through the world around us, He created.