Sunday Morning Reflections

This morning Percy let me stay in bed until almost 7 AM. On weekdays we get up about 5:45 so that we can walk before I need to get ready for work. So sometimes on the weekends Percy still thinks we should get up early. 7:00 was a perfect time to get up and go for a walk.

When Percy and I left the house this morning, the first thing I noticed was worms. Worms everywhere! It had rained during the night, several times, and I guess the worms wanted to enjoy the rain. It means that spring has finally come after the long cold, snowy winter. I'm not one who loves worms, but I did appreciate the fact that if the worms are out it must be spring.

The second thing I noticed this morning was green. The grass is starting to turn green, and the evergreen trees looked greener. I guess everything outside appreciated a bit of rain.

As we walked I could hear the birds singing. I got warm in my coat, and realized that the breeze was not a cold breeze anymore. I don't need snowpants, boots, mittens, hat and scarf anymore. They are all getting cleaned and packed away this week!!

This morning has been a time of reflection. Just as the seasons are changing, so is life changing. Yesterday I was at my son's hockey game. I've been to thousands of hockey games in my life, with 3 boys playing hockey all through school. But this time I was at Brenton's game, sitting by his wife - and watching my grandchildren (Brenton's kids) runnng around. I remember keeping an eye on Carrie and Jeff as they ran around at Brenton's games years ago.

I thought this morning about how quickly life changes from needing shovels for snow to lawn mowers and rakes. Before I know it I will be moving sprinklers around the yard, weeding the gardens, and picking out flowers to plant.

I thought about the cabin, and wonder what it looks like there - is spring coming softly there too? It seems like we just took the dock out of the water and soon we'll be putting it back in, taking out the lawn chairs we put away last fall, and opening up the picnic house.

Carrie and I talked and planned last night. She has one week left at home before moving to Guatemala. I remember packing her up to go to summer camp; moving her to Bethel College her senior year; driving her to Indiana for the summer when she did an internship at a church there; moving her back and forth from college; taking her to the airport many times- to fly to LA for another summer, to go to Guatemala the first time, and the second, and the third, and the fourth... And so life changes once again as she moves there to marry the love of her life and begin her new life there.

This Sunday morning I am thankful for the changes, because they cause me to be more dependent on God.
He is with me to help me through life changes, and to use those changes to make me more like Him. Like the rain last night, which washed away the dirt of the winter and brought new growth, the Holy Spirit rains on me during times of change and brings new growth in my spirit.

I am also thankful that God never changes, as it says in Malach 3:6
 "For I, the Lord, do not change "        
  and Hebrews 13:8      
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

During times of change I can look to Him, the unchangeable One, to be my anchor, my shelter in a storm, my Rock to cling to, my hope for the future.