The Challenge of Spring - Talking Poppies

I love spring. It is like an explosion of life, of color, and of song. I love the fresh green of new leaves, the morning songs of birds, the evening choir of frogs, the humming of the bees, the splendor of blossoms, the spell of fragrances, and the soft carpets of grass. I love the return of longer days, of warm sunshine, of open windows, and eating outside. I love tilling Susie’s garden, the smell of fresh cut grass, and our goose laying eggs. I love the abundance of spring, its happiness, and being able to see God’s glory reflected in innumerous ways.I love the challenge of spring, to join in, to participate in life, to leave last year behind and concentrate on growing something again. There is a spot, right before Marsh Flat Road drops down to Moccasin, which explodes with wildflowers each spring. Yesterday, on my way to Sonora, I stopped there for a minute to look at some small California Poppies blooming on a rocky bank. They are in a hurry, they have to be, they don’t have much time. So each year they give it all they got and anoint an utterly barren spot with undeserved beauty and life, they make that place glorious. They waste no time complaining why they couldn’t be across the road and down a small swale where the dirt is rich and their cousins grow tall.God told the ancient Israelites that he was giving them a “land flowing with milk and honey.” This wasn’t the dry side of the road. He wanted them to blossom in that land and make into something even more incredible, a land of justice, un-poverty, of love for one’s neighbor, and of devotion to God. But the story of ancient Israel can by and large be summed up with “what could have been.” That can happen to you and me – to us, you know. There are qualities that need to blossom and grow into fruit to create lasting beauty. Qualities each person, each generation needs to embrace. Qualities that are only sustainable if we are connected to, and  rooted in God – “the fruit of the Spirit (of God) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV, parenthesis mine). I have stopped to look at those poppies for going on thirty years. Every year they  refuse to wait, refuse to complain, refuse to throw in the towel. They are committed to bloom right there on that inhospitable and unforgiving rocky bank, they are committed to bring to bear all of their God-given potential for beauty, they are committed to grow.I pray you and I refuse to simply resign ourselves to merely growing older and instead answer the challenge of spring to grow, to produce all that is good and godly to the benefit of my neighbor and the glory of God.To God and Christ be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans