Awaiting Easter

I love this time of year...the flowers beginning to bloom, refreshment in the air. As I drive around town, I look eagerly for the colors that are emerging, signifying new life and hope. God is always with us ~ He can so clearly be seen in nature.

The other day my seven year old took me outside to look at our daffodils, crocus, hyacinth and emerging tulips and azaleas. I was saddened to see that the deer had already eaten the heads off of many of my favorite tulips and some of the stems on my azalea bushes. I pray that next year God will resurrect the ones the deer have eaten; I am not sure if all of the energy of the plant is in the growing part or if some is still stored in the bulb. I will see... God can do all things, I am praying He blesses me with this one. Squirrels have also been busy and have dug up some of the smaller bulbs I planted late in the fall; there are a variety of holes in my flower beds these days. I pray they left enough that we have some joyful color to share with our neighbors. Meanwhile, I am spraying the beds with a natural deer and squirrel repellent...spring snuck up on me this year, and I did not spray soon enough.

That is so like our lives, I believe. While paying attention to the day in and day out events that are necessary to focus upon, we keep the upcoming possibilities and needs on our radars, but not in full focus. I believe this is actually how we ought to be, rather than trying to control and predict all things ~ submitting each day to our Lord and letting Him prioritize. However, often I realize a bit too late that I have missed opportunities to share His glory in some way ~ this, for instance. Had I sprayed a week earlier, the plants would have been saved and His beautiful creation would have sprung forth with a vivid beauty in parts of my yard that will not express such enthusiasm this spring. Is it terribly important? No, not really. Is it something I am saddened by? Yes, I do love the intricacies of Creation, especially in the delicacies of a flower. And, as I reflect upon why I went outside (my daughter's request) to look at the flowers, I realize that the still small voice inside had suggested this path at a time several days earlier, but it had been easy to push aside when dropped among the events of that moment.

God cares about what is important to us. He will keep us on a path that delights us while reflecting His face and glorifying His name through us ~ if only we would listen. Our job is to be available to His interruptions. Each day we need to temper our hearts and minds to be alert to God's prompts; ever ready to respond to His Spirit's whispers within. As the truth of the Resurrection is celebrated this weekend, I am recommitting myself to a more focused effort at attending to God each moment, versus being distracted by the life in front of me. Won't you join me?