I have a love/hate with change, but one of my loves is definitely the newness of Spring on the farm. The weather isn’t my favorite, but it has become my favorite season since moving to our land, because with spring comes baby animals, fresh green grass, outside projects, full green trees, and gardening.
Spring is a time when we can get our hands back in the dirt. Connecting with the earth brings such healing and rejuvenation. Being out in the sun and breathing fresh, new air boosts our mental and physical health.
The kids play outside longer, building and fixing forts that need repair from the harshness of winter. They can bounce on the trampoline, run with the animals, and canoe on the pond.
The animals all get a pep in their steps. The birds start chirping and the squirrels start hopping from tree limb to tree limb. The warmer weather seems to make everyone that much happier.
Spring used to be an extension of winter to me. I wasn’t a fan. I could even say I didn’t give this season a second thought. I couldn’t wear cute shoes because of the mud, there was so much rain, that staying inside seemed to be the only option. I couldn’t wait for it to be over so I could enjoy beautiful summers. I would feel frustrated over the hard parts of Spring, while hardly noticing the blessings.
Since moving to our homestead, Spring has become such a sweet time. The first year we were here, we didn’t feel that way. It was just a lot of work. A bigger yard meant more upkeep and buying more tools and gadgets. It was all just bigger and more to care for, so we hadn’t fully learned to appreciate the sweetness of Spring: the new growth and beauty.
The newness of the season did not register much that year, as our focus was on the difficulty of things and becoming used to a new normal. While we loved many aspects of our new life, we never expected the transformation that was going to happen in and through us.
I find that our life on the farm often relates to my walk with the Lord in very miraculous ways. I have equated Springtime with the new seasons in my relationship with God. At times I think ‘this is an ugly season’ and that I just want it to go away. Sometimes I’m so focused on the hard day, week, or season, that I’m missing all the beauty that is unfolding before me. I’m missing the beauty in the lesson.
The “ugly” that we see isn’t always as it appears. If we really look, we find beauty. We must shift our focus and open our eyes to see that beauty.
When I chose to open my eyes, Springtime at the farm became beautiful, and one of my favorite blessings. My sweet spot. I didn’t see “ugly” anymore. I saw new life and transformation. I saw seeds being sown, flowers blooming, animals gathering together, and so much more. I now see the sweetness in the process: the process which brings forth beauty.
The one thing that changed in all of this was simply my perspective. Physically, there is still mud on the ground. If I have the wrong shoes on, they will get ruined. It still gets cold and rainy, and there are still nasty, frustrating days, but seeing the beauty in the chaos, the vibrant colors through the mud makes all the difference.
Spiritually, things can still be messy and hard. Some things are downright painful and scary, but I encourage you to put on the “correct pair of shoes,” if you will. Equip yourselves with the proper shoes to walk through the season God has placed you in. Find the beauty!
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” – Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)
