Sometimes we have to participate in removing the dead things to reveal the beauty that lies underneath.
I woke up on Sunday morning with a headache and a sore throat. My ears were popping. My head and nose were completely stopped up. I was miserable and I knew why.
There’s a very specific time of year for me, when my seasonal allergies are at their worst. I can pin-point it down to a couple of weeks. I can use antihistamines, decongestants and nose sprays, yet it happens anyway. I sometimes even lose my voice.
You would think that I would come to dread this time of year. You would think that I would follow recommendations and stay indoors. You would be wrong.
Nope, on Saturday, I was outside with my hubby raking leaves and deciding what we should plant in front of the house. I simply can’t help myself this time of year. The temperatures are warming up and the earth has burst into life after its winter slumber.
While I could leave my hubby to rake all by himself, I want to be a part of it. There’s something almost spiritual about removing piles of dead leaves and discovering new green growth underneath. Those leaves had a purpose at one time and then they turned brilliant colors, but their season has passed and they need to be removed from the fertile ground that they cover.
So, every year I subject myself to the misery because I know the change that is coming. I know this because it happens every year. It’s part of life here on planet earth. it’s part of the seasons. If I don’t do some work now, I will miss out on the growth and beauty that is coming.
Jesus often used the environment when talking to the crowds. They were farmers, and fisherman, and tradesmen. They were people who worked with their hands and so His message connected with them.
God told Noah after the flood, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:22
Sometimes misery is part of change. Sometimes we become emotionally or spiritually uncomfortable before something brand new and beautiful happens. This is God at work in our story. It builds trust. It builds faith.
Every year during the spring, in mid-March, I have the choice to be a part of the change or to play it safe and stay indoors. While there are some days of discomfort that come from the decision to participate, they will pass. The pay offs are well worth it. My work is always rewarded.
Some seasonal allergies reminded me that change and beauty are on the way. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂