Let’s get started! It’s spring and it is a great time to start something growing. Truly no matter where you live, how much space you have or how much time you have, you can grow something.

We don’t have to live on hundreds of acres or be an expert to learn something from growing. Some of you out there have been gardening a while and might have sage flowers blooming already, or perhaps you have tomatoes growing in your window like I do, or maybe your really a pro and have a greenhouse full of fun plants ready to go outside. Maybe though, this is your first year and you’re looking around and wondering what could you really try this year? Don’t worry! I’ll give you some good places to start and you’ll have something in no time!

Before we do that, I’d like to talk about what spring is… For me, Spring is a “morning”. Winter is a time of “night”. During winter not much grows that is seen, it rests, or in the case of most deciduous plants it grows roots. This is an extremely important time for plants and for us spiritually. If we spend all our time on our outward appearance, we become weak in our roots. If we become weak in our roots, when the storm comes, we are torn up and washed away. However, this is Spring and it’s when we come up from our roots and show what we have learned during our winter! We burst forth with blossoms of praise to the Lord! Genesis 40:10 “it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes.”

Palms 30:5 says ” For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning!” Isn’t interesting that is doesn’t say we have joy always?! There is a time for weeping or for God’s anger, but then there is the promise of joy. For some of you who live in snowy area’s you are very aware of the joy that comes with spring! You stare out at the bleak snow and wait in full expectation of a colorful spring. We must go thru our trials and tribulations of winter in our life building our roots and expecting wholeheartedly that God will give you spring after.

Song of Solomon 7:12 says “Let us get up early to the vineyards; Let us see if the vine has budded, Whether the grape blossoms are open, And the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love.” Solomon was talking to his bride and it is a picture of Jesus talking to us, His Bride. We only recently planted fruit trees but when the weather starts to break, it’s the first thing I want to do! I run outside in early morning and checked trees for buds. I was checking to see if they survived winter and are ready to produce fruit. Did you know Jesus waits eagerly for your winter weather to break, running to you expecting to see buds of faith that will burst out in praise of Him? He does!

That is the picture in Song of Solomon. Several times he takes his bride to check for fruit. Check it out sometime, it will fill you with love for the Lord to see how eagerly He tends to you, gently, earnestly gardening you. Gardening is hard, dirty work, but the outcome is always worth it. To Him, you are worth it.

Some of you are coming out of a winter and this spring is full of praise. However, for those of you who are still in winter spiritually, go outside and watch something grow, check for buds or enjoy a blossom and know deep down, your winter is going to end. There will be a time for praise. A glorious colorful spring of joy for you is coming, praise the Lord for the promise and hold tight to it.

Amen

For a list of great starter plants as promised in this blog go to “Lets get started”