I love allergy-ridden, rain-riddled Spring. Here's why.
Spring has sprung, a time when March winds bring April showers and then come May flowers. As it turned out this spring, however, the March winds brought lots of March showers. Farmers are frustrated and baseball coaches are baffled, and all any of us can do is simply love it.
Quite often people will ask me about such matters as the frequent rains. “Can’t you do something, preacher?” My answer is always the same, “That’s an upper management decision, but I am praying about it.”
Most of the time, the inquirer departs somewhat satisfied. Even when we don’t understand why things are as they are, we can trust that the Lord is in control, and even if we don’t like our circumstances, we might as well start loving the way God works.
Why should we love it when spring brings hay fever and allergies out the wazoo? As I’m typing, I’m coughing, sneezing, trying to clear blurry eyes so I can finish this article. Why in the world would I love this situation? For one thing, I love it because this isn’t my daily situation. Every day of spring isn’t like this. I have so much to be thankful for, and all this sniffling and sneezing reminds me how good God is so much of the time.
I’m also loving it because God is working in my life in obvious ways because things aren’t as I would prefer them. For example, I’m reminded of how many times people pray for me and my family, and I am reminded again to pray for them. Feeling poorly and taking some time to rest has meant a revived spirit and a renewal of my commitment to pray for folks all over the world.
Prayer isn’t a meaningless exercise. God answers prayers, every prayer, in His own time and way. We might not always recognize the answer or even like it, but we ought to love His answer because of who He is and what He is like. He is good, and therefore even the answers that don’t look or feel good to us are good. In fact, they are the best.
I’m loving it, this allergy-ridden spring with all its blooming flowers and budding trees. Though mostly color blind, I can appreciate the beauty that spring brings. Daffodils have danced and departed all too rapidly this spring, but when they suddenly burst forth in all their glory, I was loving it. Soon after the daffodils disappeared, the begonias began to burst forth. For the first time since I planted a bunch of Iris three years ago, some of them are blooming. I’m loving it.
Along with the fabulous flowers and worrisome weeds, one of my favorite spring plants is crimson clover. Tommy James and the Shondells sang, “Ah, now I don't hardly know her, but I think I could love her, crimson and clover over and over.”
Well, though I’m puzzled by those lyrics, I love to see a field full of crimson clover. You may wonder why I love it. Well, it is pretty, even in the eyes of someone who can’t fully appreciate the crimson of the clover! The reason I love crimson clover so much is because turkeys love it, and when it comes to turkey hunting, I’m loving it.