The Delicate Balance of Spring

This morning as I rode into work, I noticed the beautiful signs of spring.  The buds of new life breaking forth from the crust of winter on the trees.  The fresh sprigs of green grass breaking through the hard surface of the ground.  Dandelions and tulips breaking forth from bulbs buried deep under the ground.  The fresh white blooms of pears and dogwoods dotting the landscapes, perfectly pushing past the wintry gray of a season soon to end. 

For many spring represents new birth, rejuvenation, new life.  We are surrounded on all sides by fresh and new.  It seems to bring hope and renewal and with it, many find that their spirits are lifted and they feel a sense of encouragement that has been missing all winter.  AND YET, as encouraging as all of the new life seems to be, there are many who dread the beginning of spring, because with it comes stuffed heads, runny noses, headaches, scratchy throats and itchy runny eyes.  At my home, I love the spring, but my family suffers all around me with the pain of spring.  Allergies affect so many people as pollen begins to blanket the world, many suffer from reactions to the necessities of growth all around them.  It is certainly a delicate balance between the joy and pain of spring.

The same is true in our spiritual lives.  As we go through seasons of growth and new life in the kingdom of God, we struggle with the pain of the growth.  With every struggle comes strength and so just as the dandelion must break through the crusty ground to beautify the landscape, so we must struggle to break through the old man, our sinful nature, or even our old way of thinking.  As we struggle to break forth, there is pain in the struggle but the joy of spring lies just beyond.  As a baby struggles to be born, it causes pain to the mother, but once having received that new baby in her arms, she would never regret the pain of the moment.  We are the same.  Once you experience God's best for you, the pain of getting there will pale in comparison to the glory of His reality in your life.

I once heard it said that "Pain is inevitable. . . Growth is optional."  We're all going to struggle.  We're  all going to go through painful circumstances.  But we choose whether we grow from them.  I choose to embrace the new life of His presence and spring forward into God's best for me.  "If any man is in Christ, He's a NEW creation.  Old things are passed away and all things become new." 

Enjoy the warmth of the coming days.  Notice God's handiwork all around.  Enjoy the growth that is taking place.  Recognize that some of us may be suffering through (with red noses and watery eyes) but soon we'll all be basking in the sunshine of His greatness as His best in played out all around us.  God best to each of you!  -- RP