“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?” Job 12:7-10

Stop and Consider It

Walk His Way Revisited

Have you ever taken awhile to just sit and look at springtime coming, to watch it carefully and see its nuances and subtleties, to detect growth, freshness and beauty? Have you taken the time to grasp and consider the concepts of new life, renewal, and hope?

In my front yard, tiny leaves unfold into broad shade-givers against the heat to come. Sturdy trees and plants have been pruned down to much smaller versions of themselves, to yield fruit in harvest time. Lambs frolic and leap after one another in their playful version of tag, because the day fills them with joy. Colts prance and fillies dance around their mothers. New voices have joined the wake-up cacophony in my neighborhood—turkeys, somewhere nearby, and juvenile roosters with their funny croaks and warbles in their attempt to sound bigger than they are.

We need to take time to notice all this—and then pause to watch, and consider its meaning. We need to drink in the wealth of beauty, let it feed us and speak to us as God intended, and then make a connection to our spiritual lives. God intended spring to provide a picture, an example, a means for us to relate to His resurrection and our own new life in Him.

We all know the old adages: winter is for deadness, or rest, or waiting, or preparation. If any work is being done, it is hidden. Then spring comes. Warmth embraces us again, frees us from heavy coats and quilts and burdens. Hope comes anew. Beauty again meets our eyes.

We knew it would come—we just knew it, because we’ve seen it before, and it faithfully came again. Why are we, then, apt to mire down in despair when trials are long? Why, when there is death nearby, do we feel life will never be renewed? If in the midst of forced rest, do we think we’ll never feel energy again? Do we grasp the concept that each hour we wait brings the desired end one hour closer? Have we forgotten that God’s work and preparation is often underground, deeply hidden from prying eyes, taking place where we can’t meddle with it? For surely, surely, we’d ruin it by hurrying.

Be encouraged. Spring always comes.

God, fill us with the wonder of Your ways. This spring, may we notice the things that speak of You. Whisper to us, “See? See? I told you I would come.”