In The Zone
Springtime is here again in the Midwest.
This will be the fourth year we spend April 24th not celebrating Nathanael's birthday.
It used to be my favorite time of year.
I was as excited as the children when we hid Easter eggs.
The end of another harsh winter, bringing the promise of better days to come.
Spring brings new life, green grass, flowers and trees blooming once more.
That is, what's left of the trees after heavy snows and high winds we've had this year.
We have a lot of work to do fixing and repairing all the damaged and worn out pieces of, well everything!
And construction zones. Ugh.
(I really should dig out my older blog posts about my "favorite aggravation of summers" to share more on the issue!)
Yes, it is still the bright hope of the seasons as Easter rolls around this time of year.
Yes, cute little fuzzy baby chicks and bunnies romping around the yard make even the coldest hearts melt a wee bit.
Yes, the sunshine warms the stiffness of creaky bones and the blustery breezes air out
the humidity that seeps into corners of houses and muscles alike.
Just as all good things and times must come to an end,
there is a season to build and a season to tear down, so that new hope can return.
The spring storms may be brutal and destructive, but they can also be a signal for new things to begin.
If we continue reading in the book of Ecclesiastes,
we also realize that in order to understand where we are today,
we must see the opposite end of the spectrum as well.
Not "everything" bad happens "only" to me.
Everyone is dealing with something that perhaps, I may never have to endure.
Then if you could see every aspect of my life, you may be as overwhelmed as I am.
But the connecting bond we share is something deeper than facts or the dash between.
We have been traveling on at least one road or more together for a reason.
We have all known loss.
We have all seen things none should ever have to recall.
We are all carrying some burden which none can remove alone.
We are all "In The Zone".
The construction zone.
If you spend any time at all on the internet, you will encounter all those cute cliches
that tend to float around like cottonwood fuzz.
You may even use them. It's ok, we all do. (I do, anyway!)
You will find them in:
Public Service Announcements,
Advertisements,
Campaign Slogans,
Sports Teams,
Churches, and well, you get the idea.
The one I am thinking of today is "Please be patient, God isn't finished with me yet."
It's a statement meant to remind us to be kind to others.
We don't know which pothole has tripped them up today.
We can't see the invisible scars many bear silently.
If we were to tap our neighbor on the shoulder,
we wouldn't feel the armor they have learned to wear daily just to make it through without breaking down.
Also, it's a reminder to ourselves to not be so hard on ourselves.
As a mom, I used to explain to my children that we may not think we are improving much,
when in fact, if we looked back on our lives we can see that we are further along than we thought
because God is always working on us.
He knows what we need and what we want.
Those two places are usually not what we think. Unthinkable even.
That's when we need the Master Carpenter to take over and smooth the rough edges.
To lovingly wipe off the grime, the dust, the blood, sweat, and tears.
He assesses the damage done, prunes the fallen branches, repairs the broken windows,
mops up the overrun rivers, grades the muddy roads, and fills in the cracks in the pavement,
forgiving every wrong turn and wipes the slate clean.
When we get ready for repairs as the weather warms up,
and the rain cleans the dust off the dreary winter coat nature wears so long,
remember Jesus is right there ready to wrap you in His arms,
smiling because He knows what the finished product will be like.
Someday, it will be worth it all.
But for now, take the precious well-loved parts of your life,
hold them close to your heart and breathe a prayer of thanks
for all the days you have spent living and loving life, family, friends
and the Creator of all things bright and beautiful!
Even in the construction zone,
we can see some amazing things when we slow down and keep our eyes on the road.
Building Brick by Brick
written by: Sue Leerhoff
This will be the fourth year we spend April 24th not celebrating Nathanael's birthday.
It used to be my favorite time of year.
I was as excited as the children when we hid Easter eggs.
The end of another harsh winter, bringing the promise of better days to come.
Spring brings new life, green grass, flowers and trees blooming once more.
That is, what's left of the trees after heavy snows and high winds we've had this year.
We have a lot of work to do fixing and repairing all the damaged and worn out pieces of, well everything!
And construction zones. Ugh.
(I really should dig out my older blog posts about my "favorite aggravation of summers" to share more on the issue!)
Yes, it is still the bright hope of the seasons as Easter rolls around this time of year.
Yes, cute little fuzzy baby chicks and bunnies romping around the yard make even the coldest hearts melt a wee bit.
Yes, the sunshine warms the stiffness of creaky bones and the blustery breezes air out
the humidity that seeps into corners of houses and muscles alike.
Just as all good things and times must come to an end,
there is a season to build and a season to tear down, so that new hope can return.
The spring storms may be brutal and destructive, but they can also be a signal for new things to begin.
If we continue reading in the book of Ecclesiastes,
we also realize that in order to understand where we are today,
we must see the opposite end of the spectrum as well.
Everyone is dealing with something that perhaps, I may never have to endure.
Then if you could see every aspect of my life, you may be as overwhelmed as I am.
But the connecting bond we share is something deeper than facts or the dash between.
We have been traveling on at least one road or more together for a reason.
We have all known loss.
We have all seen things none should ever have to recall.
We are all carrying some burden which none can remove alone.
We are all "In The Zone".
The construction zone.
If you spend any time at all on the internet, you will encounter all those cute cliches
that tend to float around like cottonwood fuzz.
You may even use them. It's ok, we all do. (I do, anyway!)
You will find them in:
Public Service Announcements,
Advertisements,
Campaign Slogans,
Sports Teams,
Churches, and well, you get the idea.
The one I am thinking of today is "Please be patient, God isn't finished with me yet."
It's a statement meant to remind us to be kind to others.
We don't know which pothole has tripped them up today.
We can't see the invisible scars many bear silently.
If we were to tap our neighbor on the shoulder,
we wouldn't feel the armor they have learned to wear daily just to make it through without breaking down.
Also, it's a reminder to ourselves to not be so hard on ourselves.
As a mom, I used to explain to my children that we may not think we are improving much,
when in fact, if we looked back on our lives we can see that we are further along than we thought
because God is always working on us.
He knows what we need and what we want.
Those two places are usually not what we think. Unthinkable even.
That's when we need the Master Carpenter to take over and smooth the rough edges.
To lovingly wipe off the grime, the dust, the blood, sweat, and tears.
He assesses the damage done, prunes the fallen branches, repairs the broken windows,
mops up the overrun rivers, grades the muddy roads, and fills in the cracks in the pavement,
forgiving every wrong turn and wipes the slate clean.
When we get ready for repairs as the weather warms up,
and the rain cleans the dust off the dreary winter coat nature wears so long,
remember Jesus is right there ready to wrap you in His arms,
smiling because He knows what the finished product will be like.
Someday, it will be worth it all.
But for now, take the precious well-loved parts of your life,
hold them close to your heart and breathe a prayer of thanks
for all the days you have spent living and loving life, family, friends
and the Creator of all things bright and beautiful!
Even in the construction zone,
we can see some amazing things when we slow down and keep our eyes on the road.
Building Brick by Brick
written by: Sue Leerhoff
Comments
Post a Comment