Spring has sprung - or did it?

Aaaaah! The first day of spring!
Are the birds singing?
Are the trees budding?
Are the flowers blooming?
A glance out the window this morning reveals a shocking sight!
It's snowing!
There's snow covering the lawn, trees and shrubs!
So unexpected, so unwelcome!
And everyone coming into my office today is saying the same thing.

Oh, sure we loved the first snow back in December.
A winter wonderland!
The start of ski season!

March 20, 2009

So what's changed?
The snow is still snow.
It's just that we've had enough. We're tired of it.
What was once endearing and beautiful has become tiresome and annoying.
Yet, it's two sides of the same coin.

Reminds me of some relationships.

When we first start dating, for example, we value the strength we see in our new guy.
But after years of marriage, that same trait may make him seem bossy.
We loved the peaceful calm of our new beau.
That now may seem like laziness.
They say opposites attract, so we may be drawn to someone different that us - someone that's a strong tower or a calming influence. But the very same quality that attracted us can bother us after the honeymoon period is over.

As Jesus instructed the Ephesian church in Rev. 2:5, we need to remember our first love. When we drift away from that first love, we must repent and do the things we did at first. Of course, He's referring to our relationship with Himself, but the same principles apply to our other relationships.
Remember how you felt at the beginning of your relationship? We need to flip the coin back and begin to appreciate those qualities that had seemed so attractive that really are still there. We need to peel away the years of subtly built up annoyance.

When 4 year old Hailey came in today, her mom said that she was thrilled to see the snow. She just appreciated it for what it was. She wasn't bothered by it, tired of it or worried about it. In her childlike manner, it wasn't complicated. It was just snow.

Maybe that's why Jesus instructed us to "change and become like little children".

Quick! Build a snowman before the snow melts!

Susan