And of this gospel I was appointed a herald… (2 Timothy 1:11) (NIV)
It was the official first day of spring in the northern hemisphere, but nature was a bit negligent about observing the human calendar. While the oaks, deer, and flowers didn’t get out of bed for the scheduled date, the breezes, grass, and creeks were early by several weeks. Only three animal families reveled on cue.
Frogs released months of pent up joy, belting out their croaks. Robins chirped about their jackpot of worms. Brown and white goats bleated staccato exaltations into the warming day. Thus was spring heralded to my ears.
I can’t detect spring in the air as the animals do, but, there’s another springtime swirling about that I can grasp. It’s the divine spring of new life carried by the Holy Spirit. The space about us sizzles with hope. Reach out with your spirit, sniff the heavenly realms, and sense the coming excitement. The Spirit of Jesus surrounds and enters us, ready to spark a holy passion for real life.
My species is the only one in the animal kingdom with the spiritual organs necessary to sense the eternal spring and herald its coming. So what is my part in the divine spring?
If the animals tried to announce the physical spring by pushing birds out of nests, or pawing the earth to expose sleeping frogs, we would conclude they’d gone bonkers. In the same way, if I thump heads with my Bible and shove others toward Christ, they’ll shun me as insane.
I must follow the animals who know the correct way to proclaim spring. They pull it into themselves until it bursts out of their lives with croaks, twirls, and bleats. In the same way, I must inhale the spiritual spring and let it strike the vocal cords of my choices, to reverberate in loud acts of mercy and kindness. I’m the herald of eternal springtime—not only by my lungs, but more importantly, with my lifestyle.
Prayer: Lord, may your life burst out of me.