Sorry I haven't posted much this week. I have much on my heart that I'll eventually share, but this week started unraveling on Monday and I'm busy trying to sew life back together (or at least cover the holes with duct tape).
But the highlights of the week were celebrating a homecoming of friends with their newly adopted son from Guatemala and celebrating a "homegoing" of another friend. (This is the friend I mentioned in my last post.) But no matter how crazy life gets, I like to post a Sunday Dinner. The idea behind it is explained here.
My last post talked about winters in our lives. When I wrote it, it was cold and yucky outside. Although it is still technically winter, God gave us beautiful springtime weather this weekend as we gathered for our friend's funeral yesterday. It was a beautiful reminder that spring always follows life's winters.
We enjoyed the warm temps again today . . . Daniel was especially grateful to run around without needing to be bundled up. The other day we were looking at some photos taken of our house last summer. Daniel exclaimed, "Mama, the grass is green!!! It's so beautiful. How can we make it green again?" My answer was, "God will make it green again. Don't you worry."
I laughed at his observation. It never occurred to me that the grass has been dormant since coming home. (We have Bermuda in our yard which has provided an outdoor carpeting the color of a manila folder.) I'm sure there will be many sweet surprises as we experience the first year of seasons with Daniel. So that brings me to this week's scripture.
It's a passage that most know well (thanks to a 60's song by The Byrds) so I've only highlighted some of the verses:
" 1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven,
2 A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, . . .
4 A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, . . .
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. . . .
14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing can be taken from it. God does it so men will revere him."
Ecclesiastes 3:1,2,4,11,14, NIV
So as I ponder these verses, I remember my promise to Daniel that God will make the grass green again. I don't make promises to my children unless I am certain that I can keep them. But unless we have some unfortunate fungus or disaster on our lawn (which is highly possible), I know I can promise Daniel that God will paint the world green in the coming months. And yet, there have been winters in my life that I was so broken, I wasn't sure if spring would ever come. But it did . . . because God is faithful.
The song for today wasn't originally the one I had planned. I had picked another song by Nichole Nordeman and pulled it up last night to listen to it again and select a scripture. And then I saw the song titled "Every Season." I had heard it before, but at a time that apparently my heart wasn't as thirsty for the words. The lyrics so beautifully said what I had been thinking last week and I hope they touch you as well. (Before you watch the video, pause the playlist at the bottom of my blog so you won't hear both music at the same time.)
Whatever season you find yourself in right now, remember that "He has made everything beautiful in its time." The earth will thaw, the grass will green. Mourning will end, joy will return. And this . . . I can promise.
Gratefully His,
Kathie
2 comments:
Kathie, thank you for this! I so needed to hear these words and read this scripture today. Been having a rough time of it, dropped out of my PhD program but then rejoined, all b/c was failing to realize there are seasons for everything. I have had several people remind me of this during these last two difficult weeks and now to read this... I can proudly say "I GET IT GOD! Loud and clear!" =)
Thank you for allowing him to use you!
Also, I LOVED my valentine's day surprise that came! Just perfect, so sweet of you. Thank you thank you thank you! =)
Kathie! God just used your writing so deeply in my life. Thank you for writing it. We had a big bomshell dropped on us yesterday in a relationship that we have been trying to reconcile for years. It feels like the dead of winter with no hope of spring. Thank you for reminding me that God is into turning our mourning into dancing...exchanging our ashes for a beautiful garland. I honestly have no idea how that can happen in this situation but I do know the One who knows the way. Thank you so much!!!!
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