Spring in the USA

"11 See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.

12 Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves is heard in our land."
Solomon 2:11-12

Today I talked with various friends in Zimbabwe. As they told me of their stresses and how God has intervened, I listened to the birds sing outside our sliding glass window in my apartment and the kids play across the street in the local park. I love kids and spring time.

This week, as you know, has been a chaotic week for Zimbabwe and for me. There is so much uncertain right now in a land I love deeply.

It is amazing how God has given me a new heart for the people of Zimbabwe in the past few days. The bitterness, pain, agony, suffering, etc were mounting on my heart and I was struggling to give it all away to God...casting my burdens on God and allowing Him to intervene in my life and in the lives of our friends in Zimbabwe.

I tend to get like that in the winter time. My mind and body had reached a climax of darkness and I was ready to burst. In every way, my whole self was ready for a new spring.

It is so beautiful outside today in Central PA as we welcome in spring weather. With it comes the promise of sunshine, rain, and the birth of flowers and tall green grass.

As I listened to my friends in Zimbabwe pour out their hearts and they graciously listened to me do the same, it was amazing to me just how renewed we all felt at the end. Casting our burdens upon each other helped us feel better. Then, it occurred to me in a new, bright, overwhelming way...God wants us to do that ALL THE TIME to Him.

Sometimes in the darkest hours, we can't see the light and can't seem to let go for fear of falling. But God calls us to cling after Him and cast all our burdens upon Him. In doing so, we experience new life and a renewed sense of belonging to the Creator that gave us life and gave life to the birds that sing His praises.

I am seeing the love of God in a new way...even when it sometimes seems dark to me. Spring is right around the corner.

Make sure to take some moments when you feel overwhelmed to give praise to the God that gave us the beautiful sun, gentle spring rains, and the birds that fill up our sky. When all seems dark, know that God is working on a new spring.