Spring. There is one aspect of Spring that I absolutely love. No, it is certainly not the flowers or the sunshine or the allergies. It is Spring Cleaning. I love organizing and arranging things so that they are in proper order. Despite my feeble attempts to convince Austin to go to Omaha every weekend to visit The Container Store I dream about the aisles. It is a store full of organizing equipment you will find any container you could imagine nestled in the shelves of this store (hence where it gets its name). Sometimes my spiritual life is like that. I do what I can to file it away. I try to organize how and when I am available to the Spirit’s leading. If I had the right container, I could be a servant when it suits me. My faith looks so nice in that mason jar on display but if I do not put my faith into practice, it means nothing. The Holy Spirit invites us to do more for the Kingdom of God. The Spirit is with us beckoning for us to be participants and not spectators.

That must be the nature of spring. Flowers cannot be controlled. The sunshine cannot be banished. Most allergy medicine only works for a couple hours. Like the Spirit of God, the promise of spring is its sometimes elusive yet breathtaking beauty. It is the Holy Spirit that moves like the breeze among us. As believers, we have to embrace the mystery of what God is doing and ask “how can we be a part of this God? Where do I need to fix my ears so that I can hear your Spirit’s guidance? How can I be a servant to all?” God regularly takes us out of the safety of our containers to experience resurrection. The Spirit is like spring wildflowers: untamed and beautiful. So, pause a moment and celebrate the gift of resurrection and the victory of unfailing love from your Creator.

“The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
 The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.” Song of Solomon 2:12-13