New life for all!

One of the first signs that Spring is on the way is the appearance of snowdrops in the garden. I well recall my mother proclaiming that Winter was on the way out because she'd found the first snowdrops in our snow-covered garden. Somehow it managed to put a brighter outlook on life, reminding us that the apparent 'deadness' of the long Winter months still fostered new life. That, I guess, was one of the first lessons that I learned about regeneration, albeit a lesson learned without any conscious application on my part!

I love the way that snowdrops force their way up through the snow, the tips of their leaves hardened for the task. They always look so delicate and yet must be strong to grow the way that they do. They thrive in cold weather, (unlike us!), and the colder the weather the longer their flowering period, some species even flowering well into March.

It never ceases to amaze me how you can bury a dead-looking bulb or seed in the ground and then, some time later, enjoy the flowering display that it produces. It's a real sign of new life and regeneration. Each year the flowers that come are new ones, not simply the old ones growing back. The new flowers are raised in all their glory, proclaiming to the whole world that they are here! Each time that I see such beauty I wonder again at the beauty of all creation and just how great God is.

It's not only plants that can be raised of course, for one day the followers of Jesus Christ will be raised with Him to glory. We will be new creatures in Christ! How fantastic is that!!! To walk with Him in this life is a blessing, and to proclaim Him a joy, but to be with Him for eternity and to praise God for ever in glory --- that is joy unspeakable!

So every time that I see new life around me my thoughts are focussed more sharply than ever on God who has created it all so wonderfully.