Celebrate This Time Of Renewal...

 

As I write these words, spring is in full swing where I live. Many of our spring plants are even going to seed now. Some of the bird species that make a brief stop here on their way to more northern climates have already come and gone.

The bumblebees, carpenter bees, and honeybees are out in droves, sipping from the delectable nectar from all the blooms.

If you live up north, spring may be just beginning. Wildflowers are just now beginning to sprout out of the ground, or to bud. The ground is slowly turning from a dull brown to a brilliant ardent color. And the landscape is turning from gray to various shades of green as leaves begin to bud and grow.

Likely as not, spring rains have begun to fall, washing the sky and bringing a fresh, clean scent to the air. Insects are beginning to hum and buzz. Frogs have begun calling out ot potential mates.

Wherever you live...whatever climate you live in...I want to encourage you to get outside and immerse yourself in the new life.

Get off your phone, step away from Netflix, and gift yourself the experience of the beautiful reality of God's creation, of nature.

And not just nature, but nature as it awakens from the long sleep of winter.

Likely as not, you, too, have been dormant during the past several months. Perhaps you've been sheltering from the cold. Perhaps, like me, you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, and so have had to trudge through the annual depression that sets in when the sun is not as bright, and low-hanging clouds persist above you, day after day.

As I write these words, winter is over. Temperatures are rising, the sun is bright. And the landscape is exploding with color, beckoning you to join with it, to experience spring in all its splendor. 

And I encourage you to obey the call. Spring reminds us that life continues on, and that, like the earth renews itself every year, you can renew yourself. You can make new choices. better choices, perhaps, than you made last year.

Moreover, nature in springtime calls us back to simplicity, to a slower way of life.

Perhaps the best reason to get out and enjoy spring? There's no better therapy than an outdoor walk on a beautiful day. There's no easier way to drop your worries and regrets, and to completely immerse yourself in the present moment. 

Peace to you, and may blessing abound in every area of your life.