There was a Robin in the yard today. Just like every year around this time I can count on my Robin friend to mark the moment that spring is officially upon us. So what does this mean? It means its time to start my seeds for my garden. It means I better clean up the yard. It means my kids will be home for the summer soon, so I better get prepared. It means Easter dresses, white shoes, grass stains, flip flops, and pastel-colored candy. It means lilacs, meadow larks, lawn chairs, evenings on the porch, and daylight at the kids’ bedtime.
It also means that I’m turning 36. I’m on the down slope of my 30’s, gaining momentum as I plummet into my 40’s. I’m overweight by an amount that I won’t disclose. My finances are…well…messy. And I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I find myself quite depressed on this happy spring day.
But God, speaking to me through a silly radio commercial, has reminded me of something. While I’m tempted to grovel in self pity and dread of the future, and pray demands at God for the things I think I need—and for the way I want things to be; I’m reminded that the only thing that matters at all is what God wants for me. It’s all about His plan for me…not mine. I need to get over myself. God did not put me on this planet just so that I could be happy. He put me here to carry out his purposes. If I’m living inside His plan, then life in all its abundance will happen. (Kind of like the way life comes out in all its abundance in the spring.)
So, I’m anxious to see what kind of “spring” God has in store (especially today when it’s a little harder to see.) I’m thankful for what I have. In times of hardship in the world around me I have a very stable job. My friends are dealing with troubled relationships and divorce, and I have a husband who loves me. I have three children who inspire me every day, and bring me more joy of life than I could ever have imagined before God gave them to me. And I have a great God that I have the privilege to serve.
It also means that I’m turning 36. I’m on the down slope of my 30’s, gaining momentum as I plummet into my 40’s. I’m overweight by an amount that I won’t disclose. My finances are…well…messy. And I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I find myself quite depressed on this happy spring day.
But God, speaking to me through a silly radio commercial, has reminded me of something. While I’m tempted to grovel in self pity and dread of the future, and pray demands at God for the things I think I need—and for the way I want things to be; I’m reminded that the only thing that matters at all is what God wants for me. It’s all about His plan for me…not mine. I need to get over myself. God did not put me on this planet just so that I could be happy. He put me here to carry out his purposes. If I’m living inside His plan, then life in all its abundance will happen. (Kind of like the way life comes out in all its abundance in the spring.)
So, I’m anxious to see what kind of “spring” God has in store (especially today when it’s a little harder to see.) I’m thankful for what I have. In times of hardship in the world around me I have a very stable job. My friends are dealing with troubled relationships and divorce, and I have a husband who loves me. I have three children who inspire me every day, and bring me more joy of life than I could ever have imagined before God gave them to me. And I have a great God that I have the privilege to serve.
