The winter of 2019 is quickly becoming a memory. I learned new phrases to describe the snowstorms that brought the state to a standstill in late January and a good part of February. Polar vortex and cyclone bomb have been added to our lexicon. As I write this blog post, all but a few inches of the snow mound that sits in my driveway, has melted away.
And the other day, I saw not one, but several robins. Dare I begin to hope that Spring has finally arrived? The promise of new growth and new life is in the air. The residents of Holland are preparing for the annual tulip festival scheduled for the first weekend in May. Some of our local churches are already considering which seeds to plant in their church gardens. Other people, with green thumbs, are waiting for the first thaw, so they can get busy tilling the soil. We are coming out of our time of hibernation as the days grow longer and warmer.
As we enter the last few days of this Lenten season and prepare for Holy Week, I invite you to consider and reflect upon what you may have set aside during the winter months. There are just a little over two weeks left to participate in the District mission call to make prayer shawls, lap blankets, port pillows and caps for cancer patients throughout the District. Click HERE for more info about the Stitching Challenge.
We all have gifts to share, and ways to make a difference in the lives of those we know and others we have yet to meet. Is there a possible mission opportunity that is taking root in your heart and soul? What do you need to get started? How can we get connected with one another to bring ideas to fruition? What is energizing and electrifying us in new ways that we didn’t notice even a month or a week ago?
As we begin to look forward to our Easter celebration, what are you preparing to do to transform lives? There are many ways that we can make a difference for people in our communities. Look around as you seek to accomplish your daily and weekly errands. How can you plant seeds of hope in the homeless who may be displaying a card asking for money or help? How can you till the soil for those who are struggling with depression, grief, or addiction? Can you bring words of grace and mercy which will take root in the hearts of those who find themselves in a physical or spiritual prison? As lives break down or relationships break apart, are you able to provide a place for people to mend and begin a new journey? What balms can you offer to heal those who are struggling with illness and disease? How can you share your love with one another, knowing that we are loved by a Creator and creating God?
The wonderful story told through the 4 Gospels tells us how our Savior did all these things, and more, for the salvation and redemption of the world. I pray that each of us can continue our journey to become more like Jesus each and every day. And to quote one of our hymns: “They’ll know we are Christians by our Love.” And Amen.