Spring time

It is spring time! Hurrah! It isn't that I don't like winter because I do. It is just that I am ready for spring to arrive. Winter has lasted long enough. The last taste of winter that we had was the Palm Sunday snow that dropped upwards of 12 inches on many of us. It was a short lived snow, disappearing by Monday evening and Tuesday and soon completely gone except for a the mounds of snow piled at the ends of parking lots. Then even those were gone.

Now it is spring time. Last night I slept with a window open. No it wasn't thrown wide open. It was only open a small bit but it was still open. That means that things have changed. Warm air has started to come in and stay put overnight. Trees are budding out. Magnolia trees are blooming. Grass is turning green. (I actually mowed on Easter and then again yesterday, the 1st Sunday of Easter.) Daffodils are blooming. Tulips are up. Birds are singing sweetly int he trees (think "How Great Thou Art" and you have what is in my mind with that line). The big ground hog next door has come out of hibernation. Spring is upon us.

New life - life given by God, that is what spring reminds me of. As I think of spring and this new life, I think of every day, rising up, recalling my baptism and being made new in Christ. Every morning is like spring to my soul. I am made new by the Holy Spirit. I am refreshed in the power of the risen Lord. I am guided through the morass of life that seems to have more twists and turns than a pretzel. New life, new in Christ, living new in Him each day.

Which causes me to sing! All right, I won't break out in song at the moment for it would wake up all the folks in the house. But in my heart, I break out in song. "How great Thou art!" I sing gladly, "Christ the Lord is risen today!" I pray "Make me a servant." I ask the Spirit to guide me through this day with His power, shown to me in my Baptism and strengthened in me through the Word. What a great day today is! Spring time in my life!

I pray that it is also spring time in your life. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice! I realize that you may have some major problems you are facing. Take that to the Lord in prayer. Will they magically go away? No. Instead, the Spirit will give you strength to bear up under the pressures of whatever you are facing. Jesus Christ, risen, comes into the chaos of our lives and says to us, "Peace be with you." He brings to us that which we need - His peace, which guides us through the unpeacefulness of the day before us.

The Savior is risen from the dead! You too, in Him, are given new life today. Peace be with you.