Tag: spring

Bare Bones

The tree pictured above doesn’t look so impressive. This tree looks barren, uninviting and lifeless. It is a good representation of the chill in the air as I walked among the trees this morning. However, appearances are often deceiving. Just as with this tree, some of the very things in our lives that appear to be hopeless and lifeless are just lying dormant and waiting to bloom.

The next photos give a better representation of what is really going on. If you pass by casually, you’d never notice. Yet, if you take time to look closely, you can see the new life. There are often things in our lives that we have left for dead. We often fail to notice the potential remaining in situations and dreams that seem to have died or that are longer comfortable to hold on to. secondary 139      secondary 143

Even though this tree appears lifeless, God will allow it to bloom with fragrant flowers that will soon attract bees and continue the cycle of life. Later, this tree will be lush with green leaves that will provide protection and a home to singing birds. And still months later, those leaves will blaze brightly with brilliant color that will ultimately glorify our God.

So…if there are a few things in your life that you’ve given up on or left for dead, look again!

With God, those things that look lifeless and hopeless can find a new season, a new purpose and an opportunity to once again bloom. It is up to us to expect a season of spring even when we are surrounded by the harsh cold winds of winter and grey skies of doubt loom near.

We don’t always look like we are doing  well at various times in our lives. An illness, financial difficulties troublesome relationships or other matters can have us looking less than our best. The good news is God isn’t done with us either. We, too, have the potential for new life!

“The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail,” Isaiah 58:11 NKJV

“Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live,” Ezekiel 37:5 NKJV

Dead Things

The leaves pictured above and attached to this tree are no longer beneficial to the tree. They are utterly useless. Dead. These leaves no longer produce food or nutrients to sustain the tree. They are simply hanging on until a harsh wind blows them away. And when they are gone this tree will later be covered in green, life-sustaining leaves.

Unfortunately, the things that are dead to us don’t just always fall off or blow away. Sometimes we have to remove them. This requires that we recognize our own “dead leaves” and shed them ourselves so we can make room for the things that will allow us to grow and thrive.

Just like leaves, many things in our lives are productive for one season only. We may often try to hold on to things long after their usefulness has past. We may attempt to cling to relationships after God’s purpose has been fulfilled.

Sometimes we wonder why certain things we once did don’t work as well as before. Or perhaps, things we once found entertaining appeal to us no longer. It may even be that a once engaging friendship has simply evaporated.

As we grow and mature there will be old things we should cast off in order that we may grasp what God has for us now. Many people suffer from a syndrome of hanging on to the glory days of the past oblivious that God is offering something different but better now. Many people often fail to see their potential “new thing” because their focus is on what was and not on what is.

Other people fixate on past disappointments, failures or regrets. Pondering these things will not nurture you but instead suck the very life out of you! It is wise to consider the lessons learned from these things yet take the lessons learned and move forward.

Our relationship with God should be ever-growing and ever-changing us! We should be ready for a new life with Him which may require that we let go of some dead things. These may include some of our habits, relationships or even opinions that are holding us back instead of propelling us forward.

Give a little thought to a few changes you can make in this year. Some may be monumental. Others may be quite small. Yet, in determining what you can shed and making room for “green leaves” later, you may actually find 2014 to be your best year yet!

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
1 Corinthians 13:11

“Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, And cause it to give off a foul odor; [So does] a little folly to one respected for wisdom [and] honor.” Ecclesiastes 10:1