It is March, and many people are looking for signs of spring. For some, it is the blooming of daffodils. For others, it is seeing robins in the yard. But I have seen early spring flowers covered in snow and robins hopping in snow as well. For me, a true sign of spring is seeing handsome, male Red-winged blackbirds showing up to claim and defend their territory. Once I see them near my pond and hear their distinctive shrill call, I feel assured that winter weather has passed. I am happy to report that my harbingers of springtime are on the scene.
I always look forward to springtime. For me, it is a time when it is so easy to find God’s majesty in natural beauty. It is a time of hope. A time to look forward with joy. Springtime seems to be bursting with every new possibility.
Yet, when we are ready to move into those new possibilities, we cannot just sit passively by, as we do when we look at blooming trees and flowers. We must act to make our dreams a reality. For instance, farmers and gardeners cannot just sit back and hope that last year’s crops and vegetables will just reseed themselves from last year and a new harvest will just miraculously appear in the autumn. A lot of planning and hard work has to be done. A good first step in the planning of anything is to stop what we are doing, and spend time in prayer. Prayer will help us relax and organize our thoughts. Prayer will allow us to share with God what we hope for, as well as allow us to gain guidance from our Creator. So, let us pray, and see what new beginnings God has in store for us.
“Ask the Lord for rain when it is time for the spring rain. The Lord is the one who makes the thunderstorms. He gives them rain showers. He gives vegetation in the field to each of them.”
Zechariah 10:1
The Rev. Karen Dumey is the pastor of Hunter Memorial First Presbyterian Church in Sikeston.