May Day is notorious as a day for flowers; traditionally, it is the day for giving surprise bouquets, and it awakens in our hearts the promise of spring. On the first day of May we cannot help but feel the magic that is spring. The azaleas are blooming in a sea of green. Each iris stands like a majestic queen, her jewels resplendent. The air is fragrant, and we are lulled by what could be a summer breeze.
I brought in several bouquets of azalea branches I had cut in the yard. Like life itself, the woody branches are a bit messy. My counter is littered with plant debris; our lives are littered with debris that weigh us down as well. Sometimes, we feel like we have too much to carry…all that splintered wood and dreams that seem misshapen.
We need to lay those burdens down before God, and we need to pray for spring to seize our hearts. God will take our splintered pieces and graft something altogether new. We must trust the talents of our maker. His design is far better than our own.
The grace notes of new life resound everywhere around us. The birds chirp like a choir of angels. The bees buzz contentedly from flower to flower. The music is at once enchanting and mesmerizing.
It is our hearts God wants most of all. He wants to settle in with a love that is forever spring. We resist because brutal winds torment us. We are terrified of those impending storms, real or imagined. And somehow, there are always storms brewing in our ocean of life…near or far away. Consequently, we postpone our spring for another day. We try to go it alone, brave the stormy weather, champions of our own plight.
Still, and without ceasing, our God calls to us softly, the grace notes ringing in our ears, the love song, melodious, and spell-binding. The storms are not ours, he whispers. He is the one who will speak to the threatening winds and waves. He is the one who will make wildflowers grow in a barren field…and in our weed-riveted hearts.
The surprise bouquet is ours to keep, Jesus the flower that lives forever in our souls, love the ribbon that ties our bouquet together.
We are a people set apart, a never-ending spring, an eternal May Day.
Wonderful! Thank you for so much inspiration😊 You should maybe consider being a motivational speaker👌
Thank you Laura. You inspire me as well.