Spring is breaking out in Colorado Springs left and right, and every week that passes without a late freeze (like the one that chased down all the new spring growth last Mother’s Day) is a week I gleefully clap my hands. New buds keep unfurling and new life keeps growing. These are the days for eyes and hearts open, for taking deep breaths of fresh air and exhaling the tired darkness.
Still, my soul rumbles because of changing times for our family. I sense the Holy Spirit telling me to hang in there through the words Winter is winding down, and spring is bursting forth. Well, I am hanging in there, but I won’t lie and say it’s been the easiest.
Winter’s icy grip doesn’t want to let go without a fight.
I recently reread a portion of John 20, right where Mary Magdalene goes to Jesus’s tomb and is distraught to find him missing.
At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). ~ John 20: 14-16
I find it fascinating that Jesus, the One who knows everything from beginning to end including our thoughts, asks her why she is crying. Of course, he already knew exactly why she cried. In fact, he could have articulated what troubled her even better than she.
But he wanted to hear her say it anyway.
I believe it’s the same with us, really. Jesus wants us to to tell him what troubles us–to give it a name. He wants to hear from our own lips what saddens, maddens, troubles, and frustrates us. He wants us to tell him it all, every trying, tiny detail.
When problems and frustrations hang like a too-long winter around your soul, may you be still long enough to hear Jesus say your name. And when you hear the whisper of your own name, may you cry out to him by naming exactly what troubles you.
Because to him, you are no trouble at all.
Kristen,
I am so right there with you! It seems my winter is hanging on way to long!! It began last year with my aging dad’s medical problems throughout the year and then work! Work has been rough and I’m sensing a desperate need for change of some kind! With all this my hubby almost lost his job, but thankfully God kept him. Now he’s in danger of losing this new job!
Praise God spring is here in the mountains of Upper E. TN. You can see all signs of new life and I feel that God is going to create new life within this family with new jobs this year! We are trusting Him and listening for His voice calling our name!!
Yes! I think I heard this confirmation at my bible study tonight. 🙂
Beautiful!
Thanks for this.
May Spring come quick in your part of the world and settle in your heart.
Kristen, I really love your website it is so encouraging and beautiful. My name is Maia and I am a Christian living in Sydney Australia. I just read your piece on Steel Magnolias and it really resonated with me. We are about to put on an ametuer theatre production of the play Steel Magnolias and I thougtht how helpful your 5 points on friendship were. We will definitely pass them on to our actors. Many thanks Love Maia x
I really needed to read this today. Thank you for this insight!