Spring is traditionally a time of expectations, isn’t it? In the north, I couldn’t wait for April so I could walk around my gardens looking for any hint that green shoots would appear, the hope of things to come. There’s that special spring green which lasts only a few days as tender leaves unfurl and buds push through the contrasting dark soil.
And spring is when graduations happen. These last few weeks of school are filled with expectations (and deadlines and “gotta-do’s.”) With all the busyness, there’s an aura of the bright light on the not-too-far-off horizon, that it’s almost time for the sigh that says, “We made it!” Then, let the party begin before we consider the quandary: “What’s next?”
This spring is a little different, or perhaps our perspective is. Somehow with a war raging, prices rising, plans cancelled, and frustration growing, we need the reminder that our outlook can be hopeful this spring as in any other. Despite what we see as difficulties (a euphemism for things could be getting a whole lot worse unless big changes occur) we can think, if we have the Holy Spirit’s presence in our life to give us the true perspective, that Romans 15:13 has it right. So, with every ounce of optimism we can muster, and with the hope of eternal springtime with all its possibilities of beauty ahead, let this guide our day today: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” When we couple that with the earlier reminder this week from 2nd Corinthians 4:18, we should be able to turn it all over to our sovereign Lord who keeps all things in eternal perspective: “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Just as that delicate shoot pushing its way out of the still frozen sod may face difficulties, we can learn from past assurances that if it presses on, even through a late snowstorm or perhaps a rare 90 degree sunny afternoon, if it just trusts and grows toward the light rather than retreating back into the darkness, it will soon blossom and bring joy to the beholder. Of course, that little shoot can’t know the other idiom: “April showers bring May flowers.” A little difficulty can result in joy in the morning, or a blessed outcome. That’s what expectations are all about.
God’s got this! Whatever frustrations may occur, the minor and the major, God sees the big picture we cannot fathom from our little seedling’s perspective. We can carry on and bloom where we are planted and endeavor to bring honor to the King in the process. We can lift others up so that they can glimpse the promises of better things to come. That is today’s mission, and our eternal springtime’s expectation.
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