March 20th is officially the first day of spring. After a long, cold winter, spring is looked forward to as a time of new beginnings.
The hours of daylight lengthen and the temperature starts to rise. Soon green shoots will push their way through the ground with the promise of flowers to follow. Bare branches will bud and the trees will once again be dressed in their coats of green.
Vegetation which has been dormant for months begins its renewal. This is a time of hope and promise.
Patience is required as I wait for the signs of new growth to come. A date on the calendar doesn’t actually herald a change in the weather.
According to the dictionary, renewal has more than one meaning. It can be the resuming of an activity or state after an interruption. This is the renewal we see in our surroundings in spring.
The other meaning is the repair of something that is worn-out, run-down or broken. This is the renewal I have experienced in my own life.
When I was weary and broken I brought my life before the Lord. He gave me a fresh, new start. There was no need to wait for a specific date on the calendar. God has taken a dormant life and renewed it. His mercies are new every morning and my relationship with him is filled with new beginnings.
“The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7 NLT)