Spring is unconquerably blooming forth here in North Carolina. This year, one particular theme is constantly at the top of my heart as tangible metaphors of new life and rebirth surround me, poignant reminders that He is Risen. Nature springing from dead earth in a riot of color is an inescapable reflection of God's common grace for the whole world. We all get to experience this beautiful transformation each spring, and this year perhaps more than others I am noticing that He is using his creation to tell us a love story. As the world around me grows more vibrant and lovely, my heart is inexplicably filled hope.
Over the last winter months, I thought I had killed my beloved and much-babied Lavender plant. The leaves turned a sickly ashen grey and brittle, dry stems crumbled to dust at the most gentle touch. Strangely, this plant precisely mirrored my own spiritual state as the final doldrums of winter had totally worn me down into a silent apathy. However, last week, to my great astonishment, fresh green sprigs began popping up through the dead stems of my little plant. The resurrection of my lavender is a timely reminder that Jesus's resurrection brings the dead back to life. His life transforms our brittle, apathetic hearts of stone to new hearts of flesh, overwhelming us with love and mercy until we can't help but to share that love with everyone around us. One of my favorite phrases to recall during moments of struggle or sadness is "Jesus is Alive." It reminds me that he is always near, always at work, and always always enveloping me in love and forgiveness. It seems a particularly apt phrase to repeat during this Easter weekend. Now I have cut away the dead branches of my plant and cleared out the deadness in my own heart, leaving only room for grace and hope. My prayer for everyone this Easter is that the truth that Jesus lives will take root in your heart and bloom forth there in love.
Sarah
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