New Life

New Life

Brown earth. Trash exposed. Death pervades. 

It's the end of a long winter. For a time the brown death wore a shiny white mask, but no more. Will the desolation continue? Is there no hope for new life?

Of course, there is--SPRING. In fact, underneath the mulch and straw I can see a few green sprouts pushing their way toward the sun. I cannot uncover them yet. Oh no, for over a month more there's a chance of another frost. But the hope of those new plants encourages me. New life has begun! In a few months the earth will be full of color and life.

We have this assurance because it happens every year: Death in the Fall, Sleepy white cover hides the dead earth in Winter, then new life sprouts in Spring and mature green life thrives in the Summer. Sunrise, sunset, summer, fall, winter, spring. Experience promises it will be again.

Spring offers new baby plants at the same time the Cross and Resurrection offers new life to those long dead spiritually. What a celebration! Jesus knew the death in our hearts. He saw it even when we tried to cover it up with a shiny coat or mask. But He didn't get grossed-out and turn His face away. He watered our barren heart with His blood, then shone the light of His own resurrection on it to produce new life in us.

Now we grow to maturity. We're all at different places in that process, but we continue toward the goal of becoming like Christ. We practice listening, learning and obeying. We're getting better at it and maturing along the way. One day He'll return and we'll be just like Him when we see Him face to face.

MARANATHA!