From the Second Chair
Springtime!
Being raised in southern California, we knew almost nothing of the changing of the seasons. But that all changed when we moved to northern California in the 1990s.
Up here the winters are a lot colder, the summers are a lot hotter, and we can see the changes in the trees when autumn arrives… and then there is Springtime!
The mornings are cool, the sun is warm enough to allow the trees to blossom, the grass is not sleeping any longer but has that bright green color and it seems to me that I can actually smell spring in the air when I walk out of the house in the morning.
The long difficult winter is over and there is so much to look forward to.
Our country, our families, and our church have experienced a most trying year, haven’t we? But now we are beginning to blossom again!
Psalms 126:5 – “Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.”
Living by faith is sometimes difficult. So often the rewards of living by faith are complicated when we do not see quick answers to our prayers, or when we see things in our world that do not seem to be getting any better. In times like these, it seems as if life is a long, dark, cold winter.
But winter does not last forever.
We do not have to be discouraged as we look back at the past year with tears. Instead, as Psalms reminds us, there is a harvest ahead, and our response to reaping the benefits of living a faithful life is not just joyful, but joyful shouting!
So then, each of us can renew our spirit this Spring and look ahead to the prizes of faithful living. We can look at the promises of God, and trust His hand on our lives that will give us strength for a new season.
I think we should be renewed in this promise, trust in His perfect timing, asking for His encouragement to look forward to seeing an end to the past and a new beginning.
That is what I think anyway.
Jody <><
