Spring
Lord, as we answer your call to work in your kingdom, help us to see the surprises you send and help us to see your face in them. Be with us as we serve those you send to us, that we may ever be a blessing and surprise to them. Amen
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:1-2
Outside my window last week the snow began to melt. And there, peeking color and beauty through the snow were pansies. These hardy little flowers had bloomed all winter – even as the northern Ohio wind and cold blanketed them. There they are to greet all who come into my yard.
God calls each of us to be that bright touch in someone else’s life. Sometimes it might be a child with a story to tell or a problem to share. Maybe it’s the older person who hasn’t had a visitor or phone call for weeks; or the young parent who just needs a shoulder to lean on and someone to listen; the smile offered to the stranger. Often we don’t know the difference we might be in someone’s life
And what do we receive in exchange? Perhaps nothing tangible. Or perhaps it’s the eager hug of a child as he/she greets us, or a tearful thank you from someone who finally knows another cares.
In Ephesians Paul tells us to “bear with one another in love.” The little pansies in my garden are my reminder that God loves me and that love is for me to share with others in whatever way the circumstances require. What is the symbol of God’s love in your life?