We are now in the beginning of the Spring here in the Ukraine. I am sitting thinking about what spring is, what is happening in nature and with us people. It’s a time of awakening, a time when that after rest it’s time to stand up, to wake up, to wash, dress and eat. I wake up every morning, sleepy, warm under the blanket, often turning around desiring to go back to sleep another hour or so, but the clock is calling, duties are calling, God is calling! When I stand up I most of the time the first thing I do is to get out in the kitchen and fire up the coffeemaker, we have a fast one. When that is done I take my bible and cup of coffee and sit down to read. I would lie if I say the glory cloud was there every morning, it’s not, but He is there sometimes in the shadows of the words of the bible, if I don’t look carefully I can miss Him, but if I pay attention He is there, always.

Then time for shower, breakfast and then off to school with the kids or a fast walk to the office. Spring is like those first moments after waking up, it seems like the nature wants to turn over and take another hour sleep, but the sun is shining, the wind is blowing and nature is waking up slowly sometimes. With the nature we people also wake up during spring, darkness is scattering, the temperature rising, trees are blooming, we see and experience life. The life was there all the time, we just couldn’t see it because hidden in snow and ice it was sleeping.

Spring is a time of awakening, a time of breakthrough, when leaves, grass, animals are coming to life, start to grow and move. I am thinking about our spiritual life, it also contains of different seasons, different periods. Eccl 3 speaks about life as in seasons. Sometimes it feels like life is gone, everything lays empty, cold and hidden in layers of snow, but life is not gone, it’s just hidden for a while, preparing us for the coming spring.

When we stay close to the Holy Spirit He will lead us and help us to understand the season we are in our lives right now.

Mats-Jan