Sprouts

The Kingdom of God is like the fragile sprout of new life that shoots up, against all odds, from the darkness of death and decay. The growth begins slowly, hidden in the darkness, developing roots, tending to itself, preparing to push out into a brightly lit world. This delicate little sprout stands in stark contrast with the harsh realities of the world, growing a little bit more day by day.One of the assignments for my Preaching class this semester was to write "parable seeds." These little parable seeds challenged us to look at the world around us and find glimmers of the Divine beneath the layer of brokenness in our ordinary day to day lives. The parable seed above was one of my favorites. It is a reaction to the world around me, the world within me, and the world that I cannot fully see.I didn't know I needed spring till it arrived in full force, pollen included. I love winter, especially after living in Scotland. There is something so comforting about wearing a cozy jumper (or sweater), drinking something hot, and snuggling under a warm blanket. Chilly weather simply suits me. However, this year with the changing of the seasons I realized that my body, mind, and soul were in desperate need of Spring.The changing of the seasons is always a slow, up and down transition. It seems that Mother Nature is indecisive; she doesn't quite want to let go of the chill but isn't fully ready to heat things up. (If you have ever seen the Christmas movie, A Year Without Santa Claus, we can attribute this fight for warmth and cold to Mr. Heat Miser and Mr. Snow Miser.) This year, as the flowers began to bloom, as the days began to lengthen and warm up something deep within my soul began to come to life. Just as that little sprout in my parable seed began its stirrings in the darkness, my soul did the same--it isn't until the sprout shoots up, out into this bright and scary world that it truly begins to grow.I have been in a season of deep winter in my spiritual, emotional,and mental life. A winter that has been colder, darker, and lasted far longer than I would care to admit. But spring has sprung; bringing with it signs of new life. My life was being transformed in the deep darkness of the winter; biding its time, stirring, building roots, tending to myself, preparing to shoot out into the world.Resurrection, new life, metamorphosis--whatever you want to call it, I can attest to its reality. I didn't fully believe that new life was possible, until I was confronted with it, until I experienced the darkness that makes things seem that they will forever be stunted. I didn't think I would ever bear fruit again, didn't believe that I could ever experience fullness of life again, I was lost and worried I would never again be found. I thought I would only ever know darkness, but then I felt the stirrings of new life deep in my heart; the roots were planted, growing stronger from the love and care of those closest to me, and then spring sprung. Out of the darkness in the spring sun a tiny, fragile sprout of new life emerged.The sprout is shaky, struggling against the tumultuous winds and rains that the natural world bombards it with--but it trusts its roots and the nutrients it uses to grow strong. Day by day this sprout grows stronger, sturdier, and taller. New life begins shaky, fragile, exposed to the elements but grows stronger when tended to with care, love, and tenderness.I didn't fully believe in that complex idea of resurrection--until I was resurrected, until I was granted new life.Friends, I pray that whatever season of life you find yourself in that you have people surrounding you to love and care tenderly for you. I hope that if you are in a season of winter darkness that you cling to the hope that your spring is coming, new life is a real thing, and that you are deeply cared for and loved. May God grant us all the strength to grow, develop, wither, and regrow in all seasons of life.May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.Peace, Joy, Blessings and all my Love,Margaret