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April's Newsletter
Just the other day, Martha (my wife)
and I went for a drive down some old country roads. It was a beautiful
evening for a drive and we took advantage of the opportunity to spend
some needed time alone and just take in the beauty of the farms,
meadows, and hills of Southwest Virginia.
One thing we did not expect, but were
pleasantly surprised by seeing, were all the signs of spring. The new
life was everywhere to be found: The first butter cups of spring, buds
on the trees, newborn calves and lambs, and the greening of the fields
in every direction. Spring really is a special time – a real live gift
from God. Spring is both a time of contrast and of hope. The warming
of the climate and seeing new life all around is a stark contrast to the
drab and cold reality of winter. Our hopes soar for longer and warmer
days and time spent together with friends and family around outdoor
activities.
Each person’s life is marked by the
stark contrast of the “seasons” in out lives. None of us lives in
perpetual springtime or summer. Our lives, at best, represent in enigma
to us. We wonder why we have to go through the dark and cold times –
the winters of our lives. Why can’t we have care-free-spring and summer
lives all the time? We really don’t fully understand why life is the
way it is. All we do know is that God ordained life to be so. Several
scriptures remind us of this present reality: Matthew 5:25 reminds us
that God sends the rain on everybody regardless of their standing with
God – righteous and unrighteous alike. Jesus further reminds us that
the storms will come upon all people Luke (7:24-28). We simply cannot
escape the harsh winters of life. As a matter of fact, we are being
unrealistic (an emotionally unhealthy) to even think that we are in some
way immune from or inoculated against these times.
We are not left alone though. There
are several lessons in the newness of spring for you and me. First, we
learn that eventually, the beauty of spring will return to our lives –
even in the midst of the darkest and coldest winters imaginable. This
too shall pass, as the old saying goes. God’s promises of His personal
presence, understanding, and help in our lives in our lives are for
every one of us, all the time (Heb. 13:5; 4:15).
Secondly, the new life of spring
reminds us that with Christ, all things are made new. Whether our
winter-times are due to adverse situations in our live for which we bear
no responsibility, or they are the consequences of our own sinful
actions, God’s promise to us is that we are presently being made new
every day. We are constantly being renewed in our faith, confidence,
love, and hope - every day. Every day is a new day in Christ and we are
not compelled to repeat the mistakes of the past or to live in the pain
of the past. As we sang the song this past Sunday: “Turn your eyes upon
Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will
grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace”
Finally, the contrast between winter
and spring reminds us to keep an eternal perspective. C.S. Lewis once
commented on the difficulty of the human condition by encouraging us to
keep an eternal perspective while living in our earthly state.
Essentially saying that there will be some fair weather and good times,
but that if God allowed too much of a good thing in our lives, then we
would become acclimated and accustomed to this world, which ultimately
is not our home. James (and others) reminds us that life is a vapor-a
mist. Here one minute, and gone the next. In a full understanding that
this world is not what we were created for, we gain a perspective on
life that while appreciating the good times, we never get too
comfortable with them, because we ultimately know that we are made for
another place – eternity.
Have a great spring! Take some
walks-plant a garden-catch of trout-go camping-whatever you enjoy. Be
thankful for the changing of the seasons as they remind you of the
provision and creativity of God, as well as the beauty and splendor of
what awaits us all - someday.
Mark
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