Help! Love, MOM

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV

While in my backyard doing some mundane thing, I reveled in feeling the sun on my face warm and wonderful.

I noticed grass and shoots of something I planted some Falls ago having broken through the ground.

I heard the birds at my neighbor’s feeder chatting it up in chipper friendship and something in my weatherworn soul rejoiced that I had made it through the winter.

This past Saturday, the first day of spring, I was overwhelmed by the feeling, the realization that God brought me through:

• Snow, snow and more snow;
• Wind;
• Ice;
• freezing cold;
• Shoveling! Shoveling! Shoveling!

Although I’m not sure why, it was an emotional moment.

The last few months have been challenging for various reasons:

Friends are having a hard time with their lives. This saddens me.

America appears to be a nation at war for no justifiable reason. This confuses me.

My church is in transition. This challenges me.

My job has been super tough this year. This concerns me.

I can’t seem to wrestle my To Do list down to a manageable size. This makes me want to hide.

Hidden away In the midst of my sadness, confusion, challenges and concerns, it was just nice — actually GOOD, wonderfully GOOD and kind — for my GOOD heavenly Father to allow some small portion of His goodness to show up in my everyday on the first day of spring in my little Bronx backyard.

He reminded me that I made it to the next season, at the appointed time. By God’s grace I persevered to spring from the winter.

It appeared to me as if the Holy Spirit let me know that, because of Christ, I will be triumphant over this season’s challenges also.

Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day. Psalm 91:5 The Message

OK. Facts? God is good to me allll the time. However, I am too often too busy, living too far from God to perceive His goodness.

In some cases, what looks, feels and quacks like the duck of a difficult season, I later conclude was also God’s goodness to me: the communication breakdowns, the failures, the missed cues and connections all worked for my good.

At those times I say along with David, “It was good for me that I was afflicted.” Psalm 119:71 KJV

However, today I say, “Thank You for bringing me into a new season.”

Certainly the new season will offer echoes of the old: stresses and distresses are sure to be ours. Still I thank You, LORD for this new appointed time for Your wisdom, grace and glory.

Thank you LORD for spring.

I also thank God for you, dear Reader.

By the way, what are YOU thankful for?

Blessings,

Kimberly