Signs of Life

Living in the path of the recent snowstorms, and finding time in February winding down, I can't help but think to the spring.

One sure sign of spring on its way that I remember from growing up is a cluster of small, white flowers, tinged with green, that emerged in my parent's backyard each year.

These flowers, known as snowdrops, brave whatever winter is giving us to unexpectedly thrust themselves through the ground--through snow; through cold, hard earth; through a matted tangle of decaying leaves from the last days of fall. They offer hope of longer days and warmer temperatures when many of us are well within the grasp of a seemingly unending case of cabin fever.

Cold temperatures and a harsh climate would make it seem like these flowers have the worst timing for blooming. But, nevertheless, when things look dreary to our eyes, here they come, imparting a sliver of color to the winter landscape--and a sliver of hope to our frozen hearts.

Sometimes our faith can be as stagnant as the hard, cold, packed earth of the winter months. During such a time, verdant periods of growth in our relationship with God may seem like a distant memory. But by stepping back from our stress and our fears, and reconnecting with the Lord, we can witness signs of life return to our spirit--even if the joy that manifests starts as small as the brave snowdrop.

An appropriate verse from the Bible to illustrate how spirit-filling it is to stop everything and seek God is this one: "I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." (Psalms 34:4) The deliverance--the spiritual growth in our lives--only comes when we seek God and place our worries and sadness in His hands.

We are reminded by the snowdrop flower that winter will be over sooner than we think. We are reminded by God that time in His presence can break through the layers of ice that encase our hearts, cast aside the piles of negative history that smother our contentment, and even penetrate dense layers of doubt with the clarifying light of love. And as sure as the snowdrop comes back every year, God's grace is available perennially as well.

Rising to the Occasion

Esther had a good life. Though she had been an orphan, raised by her cousin, she was chosen to be King Xerxes' leading lady, after he dismissed his previous wife, Vashti. Esther was pampered with precious oils, beautiful clothes, special food, the best room in Xerxes' harem, and handmaidens to come to her aid as needed. The king even declared a holiday in his dominion following his union with Esther. In short, she had arrived.

But Esther had one big secret: Her nationality. Esther was Jewish, and Jews were not looked upon kindly in the kingdom, due to cultural differences. Esther's identity became a problem when Haman, an esteemed noble in the king's court, decreed the death of all Jewish men, women and children, after Mordecai refused to idolize King Xerxes by bowing to him.

Mordecai sent an urgent message to Esther, asking her to approach the king on behalf of the Jews in the region, to spare their lives. Esther faltered, fearing for her own life, but was quickly reminded by Mordecai that there was no guarantee she would be spared if she was found out. And then Mordecai delivered the kicker: "Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14, NLT)

This passage echoes where I hope a lot of Christians find themselves these days. God has blessed us in many ways. We may have always lived blessed lives, if we look back to our lost time with an honest eye, or we may have found favor in God after breaking free from a difficult past. Either way, as God's children, we are blessed. With those blessings come resources, whether financial, physical, or emotional, in the form of empathy and compassion.

The fruit of our blessings are needed. I believe, in the words of Mordecai, that we were given them for a time like this. 2010 was immediately marked with the worst kind of humanitarian crisis imaginable, a massive earthquake, followed by countless lesser, but similarly damaging, aftershocks. This natural event, with its epicenter just outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, has left an estimated tens of thousands dead and an even larger number homeless.

We are needed to extend our grace to our Haitian brothers and sisters, to save their lives, heal their injuries and help them rebuild their cities and nation. Even if it's just $5 or $10, as many mobile phone charity campaigns have made possible, or a small shipment of clothes, baby formula, or water bottles, there is something we can do to be God's grace to a population in need.

I sincerely hope that, in addition to your prayers, you have contributed in some way to this unexpected, devastating emergency in Haiti. If you have, I hope your heart has been stretched to do more. Haiti, a country that was already in dire straits, is guaranteed to have long-term needs following this disaster. And, of course, our families and our own communities have needs as well.

As I alluded to in my review of DJ Official's "Entermission" recently for Da South, we are living in trying times. Families are financially ravaged, following the prolonged recession. Individuals are empty inside, due to the kinds of hurt we read about on the news, as well as the kind of hurt that the devil tries to instill into our hearts, encouraging our souls to fester. Many people are lost and hurt these days, and feel there is no cure-all for their pain.

I feel strongly in my own life that God wants His children to extend His love and compassion in a way that pushes past our comfort zones. We were made small-scale kings and queens in His greater kingdom for a time like this. Give God glory by giving of your wallet, your heart, your time, your sweat, your ear to listen, your knees in prayer. With our intervention, we can save lives--both in the physical, as Esther had the power to, or in the spiritual, by nudging the lost toward everlasting life.