I’m driving my family insane listening to this song, “Take Me into the Beautiful.” It’s my spring song. What does spring look like in your part of the globe? Here’s why spring is my favorite season in Turkey:
Spring is a season of hope:
Have you ever lived through a winter that never
ended? The weather never got warmer, birds never sang, the trees stayed bare,
and flowers never bloomed? No matter how long the winter is, spring always
comes!
Spring is physical demonstration of God’s promise to
renew us and give us new life. No matter
how long you’ve felt spiritually weary or dead, renewal WILL come. “Weeping may last through the night, but joy
comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5) It’s a
promise that I love to hold on to.
Spring brings a message of renewal:
Spring is my personal season to seek renewal. Here
in Izmir-on-the-Aegean, fruit trees are blossoming in the park next door,
yellow dandelions are sprouting up everywhere, and the spring rains are a sign
of God’s grace in our lives. All of
these signs in nature put a spring in my step and spur me on to pursue God, to
seek him for renewal. Hosea 6:4 says it perfectly:
“Oh, that we might know the Lord!
Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
Or the coming of rains in early spring.”
A
few weeks ago, I talked with a group of 5 other cross-cultural workers, all
women, and we agreed that spiritual dryness is a part of the ebb and flow of
our lives. It happens to everyone. These were some reasons they gave: being
tired or over-committed, the day-in day-out stress of caring for children, and
discouragement over what looks like little fruit in the Middle East.
Yet God promises to rejuvenate us if we seek
Him. I asked the same group of women what
they do to seek
spiritual refreshment, and here’s what they said:
- Spend time talking with a friend you enjoy and can trust
- Listen to worship music
It brings life to boring household chores and calm
to that witching hour when you’re trying to juggle cranky kids with making
dinner.
- Get outside
- Listen to scripture
One busy mother of three mentioned that she listens to
the Word while breastfeeding.
- Pray with another person
Another friend says she has her quiet time with her
husband because alone she just falls asleep!
- Listen to a message or read a Christian book
- Try something new in your quiet time. (My personal favorite)
I hope and pray that you’ll experience new life and
renewed hope from God this Easter. Is there anything you like to do in your quiet time to change things up a bit when
you feel yourself getting into a rut?
6 comments:
it's Filipino summer here; exhaustingly hot, humid, and dusty. i find myself feeling physically drained and thirsty, and whenever someone stops by my place, i try to offer a cold glass of water.
spiritually, i find myself looking for water too - refreshment from the Word, and for ways to share it with others who are thirsty. so i've been taking special verses and doodling them, adding some fun artwork, and then sharing them with others. it's a way to spread His grace, and refresh my soul too. ♥
That is a great idea, Barbara. I used to do that kind of thing too, make cards. Maybe I will try it again.
I am not a dancer but sometimes I like to dance as I listen and sing worship music.
Love that idea, TJ! A friend of mine used to do that. I do once in a while...especially with my daughter!
Hi Olive! It was so nice meeting you at the birthday breakfast last Saturday! I've been reading your blog for awhile now and really enjoy it! Thanks so much for sharing and being such an encouragement!! So nice to have finally met you in person instead of just reading your blog and never commenting ;) I'll try to do better :)
Hey Charity! Thanks for stopping by. I enjoyed meeting you too and hope we can get together sometime soon!
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