By: Ginger Hughes
He squatted down close to the dirt, playing with his elephant, tiger, and tapir, an uncommon mix to be sure. As he played, his eyes drifted to a small, green shoot poking through the dirt. “What’s this, Mama?” he asked while continuing to dig in the dirt, pretending with his toys. “That’s a tulip,” I replied grinning at the sight. “It’s just starting to poke through the surface…this means Spring is coming.”
Though the calendar says Spring is still 21 days away, and the temperatures last night seemed to nod in agreement, the plants and trees are beginning to say otherwise around here. There are buds on trees and little green sprouts emerging from the darkness where they’ve been waiting. And this image seems so indicative of life at times because if we’re honest, we’ve been waiting too.
Waiting on Spring.
Waiting on Light.
Waiting on Hope.
For just as the dark, dreary days of Winter are still holding on, so is the dark dreariness in our souls. Many of us are struggling with bitterness or a spirit of unforgiveness. We’re weighed down by brokenness and sorrow. We’re tired of the seemingly mundane days and longing to find our purpose. We’re held captive by fears and doubts, by worries and anxious thoughts.
Yes, we are waiting. We’re waiting for the promise of Spring, of new beginnings and fresh starts. We’re waiting for the warm embrace of God’s hope to hold us close promising a better tomorrow.
And just as the tender shoot breaks forth to announce the arrival of Spring, so we see glimpses of God’s Kingdom breaking through as well. A kind word, a warm embrace, a timely visit, an answered prayer.
Just when it feels like the darkness will never end, a light beckons us forward in the distance. A flicker, an ember, a flash…but that fleeting glimpse is enough. It is enough to know of God’s goodness, of His provision, and of His grace.
So wherever you are today, friends, take comfort. In whatever season you are in, God is at work. In God’s good timing and in God’s own way, a tender shoot will come forth. And when it does, you will see at last what God has been up to all along.
My little boy saw it today. And if you are patient, you will see it soon.
Psalm 130:5-6 “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.”
-Ginger Hughes is the wife of a pastor, a mother of two and an accountant. She is a Georgia native currently living in the foothills of North Carolina. Her passion for writing is fueled by the desire to offer encouragement, grace and a deeper understanding that we are all God’s children. Her blogging for Nurturing Faith is sponsored by a gift from First Baptist Church of Gainesville, Ga. Additional writings may be found at nomamasperfect.com.
