Ahhh! Spring!

By RH

     It seems as if just a few days ago, the trees were bare, the grass was brown, and the sound of birds singing was absent. Then, we started to see the buds begin to show on the trees and we began to hear the robins sing. In the last couple of weeks, we have seen leaves pop open and tulips and daffodils bloom and a multitude of birds at the feeders. It always amazes us that all the plants can survive the severe winter and come back so strong and beautiful. It is equally amazing that birds can migrate many, many miles away and always know where to come back to. Soon the gardens will be planted and  vegetables will be growing. But….not all birds and plants are welcome.

    Just as the goldfinches are arriving, so are the hawks who prey on the little birds. Just as the robins are laying their eggs, the blue jays and grackles are ready to steal these eggs. Just as the flowers and vegetables are starting to grow, the weeds do, too. Just as we

cannot get rid of the scavenging birds, we cannot get rid of all the weeds. This is the way of nature.

     Our spiritual life is similar because just as we find ourselves growing closer to God, we find ourselves being tempted more. As we reject these temptations we become stronger in our faith. In one of the parables, Jesus told of a farmer who said the weeds must grow with the fruit of the field until the time when the good seed is strong. If the weeds are pulled too soon, the wheat (or flowers or vegetables) will be pulled out, too.

     We have a responsibility to keep our distance from those things that tempt us. Do we have friends who lead us astray? Do we spend time on the computer reading and looking at sites that cause us to sin? What kind of books and magazines are we reading? We are all like ‘baby’ Christians, because we have only started to learn all the things we can about God, Jesus and our Faith. We need to grow strong and pull ourselves away from those people and things that take us away from our God and our Faith. How do we do that? We study and pray and spend time with Jesus, who is the great Teacher. We can lean on the Holy Spirit who will give us the wisdom and knowledge to follow the right path.