Spring for me is always a welcome sound to my ears...almost musical in nature. Spring brings in those gentle warm days...and yet also has capabilities of producing some turbulent storms.
Even so, the beautiful sights, sounds, and smells that only Spring can give...brings a freshness into my own life. And...Spring adds beauty to her season by adorning herself with an array of early spring flowers.
I enjoy having in the yard landscape with "spring decor". The Crocus, Lenten Rose, Camellia, Snowdrops, Glory of the Snow, Tulips, and Pansies are but a few of the choices available to anyone who enjoys the sights and smells of this season.
I am a believer in this thought: Each season brings a reflection of the work God happens to be doing in our individual lives. And as for right now...the winter is about to end, and the time for warmth, beauty, and fresh air is about to inhabit our lives. Some winters have been much harder than others...but the fact remains...they are still winters. Now, it is time to embrace Spring...and allow her to run its course in our lives.
I personally think Spring points out to us as Christians...the mysteries of God's..."Amazing Grace".
Grace is a word we often hear in Christian circles...even the word "Grace" itself has an almost poetic beauty as it is gently spoken from our lips.
So, how does Spring and Grace intertwine? I mean...really?...what value will some flowers that are blooming...have to do with me? After all, I happen to work in a factory, and trust me..."it ain't no bed of roses" where I am at, nor are the "hills (challenges) I face...alive with the Sound of Music"... I'm just sayin'.
Grace...here is my take on Grace and how it work in our individual lives:
Grace is like a real person to me...one of God's closest friends. Grace declares this message to anyone who will take the time to listen: "Here is your life, a life that can find fulfillment when you make that decision to go after His call, "Follow Me". Grace's part in all this is to see your potential reach its completion...to activate and receive all He has for you.
When the early spring flowers begin to establish their presence in our various landscapes, there are a few lessons about Grace to be learned.
One major difference between early spring flowers and myself is: You don't hear the flowers doing a bunch of grunting or complaining as their colors and fragrance begin to transform our gardens from the cold and hard winter. Nor do I hear "chatter" from these lovely flowers like..." Man, I didn't think we would make it this time", or "God was brutal this past winter...He really left us cold and dry."
Instead, these early spring flowers soak in the sunshine, refresh themselves with the gentle spring showers, and give to us colors and aromas that stir the imagination of our very own hearts. In fact, you wouldn't even know by their fruition that just a short time ago these very flowers were buried in frozen ground with Snow and Ice declaring to any flower that might be listening: "Not this year...you are not coming to life this time!"...and yet...they did! The flowers of Spring will be standing tall again...and we can take comfort in that.
That to me is...Grace. And Grace has no favorites...our age, race, or background makes no difference. I remember last year seeing some beautiful spring flowers growing....between an old log and a bag of trash. I just read of a lady who received a degree from the University of Suffix in England. Her course of study was: "Middle Age Eastern European History" (that is a mouthful..don't you think?). Anyway,she had just turned...84 years of age.
And if you want to get down to the "nitty gritty" about it, Jesus was no different than anyone else while here on earth...He too learned about Grace. In St. Luke 2:40, it reads: " The child Jesus grew. He grew in body, He grew in wisdom, and He grew in Grace, becoming strong and knowing...Grace was with Him."
Saint Paul declares this concerning Grace: "It is Grace...who comes directly from God...that has enabled me to be what I am, and Grace brings with it good results. I have worked through His Grace, to share God's love to all men...perhaps more than all the apostles. Yet, this work that I do is not based on any efforts or merits of my own...it is Grace...Grace is the one who brings fulfillment into each one of our lives." 1 Corinthians 15:10
So, when you are walking by and admiring some of Spring's floral arrangements on display...pause for a moment...look at God's Grace in the plant life around you. Just a short time ago, winter was in full force...who would think these flowers had even a chance to survive. No way...they were literally "dead and buried". Yet today...here they are...communicating the message of His Grace to each one of us: "By the Grace of God...go I".
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