New Life Springs Forth

The weather here has been unseasonably warm the past few days. In fact, that's a gross understatement.  When do you ever see a daytime high of 77 degrees mid-February?  I mean unless you live in Florida or something!

As typically happens, whenever the weather warms, I think of flowers, nurseries, and yard work. This weekend was no exception.  I mean it's crazy because I know that more winter lies ahead, but it's like I just can't help myself.  It's as if the sunshine causes all reason and rational thought to flee.  I found myself wanting to replant all my patio pots (nothing left in them but half dead pansies) and just get out in the yard and do a little clearing.  I refrained from doing anything with the patio pots because there is really nothing available to plant yet, but I did get out and so some general cutting and clearing of some dead perennials.

It is always fascinating to me how when I cut away the dead stalks and leaves and clear away the leaves and decomposing matter, at the base of each plant still hugging the earth, are the green, vibrant signs of new life springing forth. Without fail, each of my perennials once cut back and unearthed, showed telltale signs of already returning to life.

As I was working pruning and cutting back, I thought about how people are like plants.  Sometimes if you don't look very closely, all you see is a bunch of old seemingly dead stuff at the surface.  It's not until you begin to cut back and dig around a little that you can see that there is still life in the plant.  Those lovely tender leaves are present- we just may not see them because they are covered over with leaves and decomposing matter. It is the process of cutting away the dead stalks and unearthing the plant that reveals the new life.

This is what I think it means when we are told that we have new life in Christ.  No matter what the condition of  the plant, life will flourish once more.  Even in something seemingly dead for the most part.  We are promised not only life, but abundant life!  Just as the arrival of spring causes new growth to sprout from my perennials, when Christ comes to make his home in us He brings forth new life as well.  He may have to do some serious pruning and cutting back, some unearthing and clearing of debris, but soon new tender leaves will begin to grow.  This is the fruit of The Spirit.

I thank God for the promise of spring.  I thank Him for the unexpected gift of a brief glimpse of it in the middle of February.  I thank Him for being the Mater Gardner and for bringing forth new life, both in the world he created, and in the children He calls His own.  Shalom!