It’s 6 AM and I have a dangerous case of post-Easter Spring Fever, with the clear blue sky giving us warmth from the sun. Boy, have we been waiting for this! Right? Now, if only somebody could figure out how to keep the wind from blowing. Perfect!
Folks are beginning the work of spring around their yards. grooming lawns, clearing out the beds for planting, tilling veggie gardens, washing windows and placing the out-door furniture on the deck or patio. Oh, and then there’s the gas grill for out-door cooking! ( For this pastor, of course, Spring means putting a car or two up on jacks for a favorite pastime — shade tree mechanic’n)
Yessirie, Spring is springing, and this finds us singing the glories of the Lord for giving us seasons to enjoy and the grace to travel through them. Somewhere, years ago, I read that Spring is the season of the “P”s:
“Prepare + Plant + Place + Prune = Prosper”
Rural people (be they farmers or gardeners) all know these “P”s to be necessary steps in the ritual of “Springs Work”. One does not enjoy the “Prosper” part without first doing the work of the other parts. God knows all about this, and has been trying to teach it to us in fresh new ways each new year of our earthly lives. In Genesis 2:8, for instance, we read:
“God planted a garden . . . there He put the man whom He had formed.”
God is a very process-oriented fellow. Before He put Adam into the garden, He "formed" him. Similarly, there's a process of preparation God takes us through in order to make us what we need to be. But preparation takes time. God must deal with our inconsistencies, personality defects, areas of distrust, unresolved childhood issues, scars, flaws, etc. How long does it take? For sure, only God knows.
Now, admit it; no matter your age you still recognize some childish ways in yourself. It’s likely that others would have given up on you, but God has a desire for our growth, and He's committed to it. Hmmm, maybe we should all wear a sign that says:
"Work in progress. If you hire me, you need to know this.
If you marry me, you need to know that."
The Bible says the Lord "formed man out of the dust of the ground" (Gen 2:7 ). What's God working with? Dirt! And the tools He uses to form you are the experiences you go through in life. They shape and alter you. And the more you keep trying to have it your way, the longer the process takes.
It may take you five years to learn to quit people-pleasing, or ten years to stop feeling sorry for yourself, or twenty years to stop going back and reliving your childhood. All the while God is telling you, "Stop it," and you're saying, "Yeah, I know. I'm going to do better."
Then finally a crisis happens and the truth hits you. At that point you say, "You know what? I'm going to (work very hard to) forget those things which are behind and start reaching for those things which are before" (Go read Philippians 3:13).
The five “P”s: They’re good for you. (Carrots also) Pastor Sherer