I LOVE SPRING TIME

            Written by Luz Leigh in 1997; updated in 2007

      Last evening I was searching for a story I wanted to share with my granddaughter and came across the story I am posting on the website today. A few years back, on the first day of spring, I sat at the computer and put some thoughts on the screen. The following is what I typed. If you follow my writings, you will note that I love to talk about spring…..new beginnings.

      Today was the first day of spring and was I ever ready for it. The day began with overcast skies for a while. As I listened to the 5:30 a.m. weather news, the young man kept smiling and assuring us the sun would shine today, but from the looks of the sky outside, I had my doubts. But, I took him at his word and loaded the washer so I would be able to get at least one load of clothes on the line before it was time to leave for work. You see, I still use solar energy to dry my clothes. I have an electric dryer, but that is another story for another day.

      Around mid-morning I looked outside the office window and what did I see but sunshine! It was a glorious day and I could hardly wait to get home. My yard was calling for me. Now those of you who are acquainted with me know I am not a housekeeper and neither would my yard ever qualify for yard of the month, but I love to be outside “piddlin” in the yard.

      My weedeater usually reacts to me much the same way a kid reacts to the news it is time for booster shots; no cooperation whatever. But, I suppose even a weedeater couldn’t be in a bad mood today, what with that beautiful sunshine and low humidity. Or maybe that ole weedeater just wanted out of the shed it calls home. You see I found evidence that a creature had taken up residence in there. Today I came eye to eye with him….a wood rat about the size of my cat. Well, not exactly that big, but that sucker wasn’t a little mouse by any means. Not to worry. Terry down at the feed store has sold me some rat bait, so we will be rid of that pest in no time.

      This brought something to mind. In our lives, we sometimes are the weedeater. We have a task assigned to us by the Lord. As we sit waiting for the time of our service, sometimes creatures take up residence with us. In the spiritual darkness, evil can creep into our lives. It is at that time we must adhere to the teaching in Deuteronomy 21:21 where the Lord says for us to purge evil from our midst.

      Back to the weedeater. I am pleased to say I cleaned out all of last year’s gunk, yes, that is an East Texas word, from underneath the cover and put all new string on the spool. Even used the right size string this year. Now, I’m ready to work the edges of the yard and near the walls of the house. I got out my extension cord that one of the children gave me for Christmas a couple years ago. (We give practical gifts. Like the year my husband gave me a six-foot step ladder for my birthday or was it for Christmas? Doesn’t matter – they are almost the same day.) Another useful gift I received was one of those neat little wheel-like gadgets on which you roll up your extension cord. I finally learned how to use the thing properly so it really does save time. I won’t try to explain how I rolled the cord up the first year until one of my sons showed me the correct way to use it.

      Do you see a pattern developing here? First, I had to rid my life of evil things. Now, Then I had learn to put to use in a positive manner the equipment which the Lord has given me. 

      Anyhow…I started my weedeating, raking, etc., and was doing a fantastic job. Really getting into the swing of it, feeling great. Then, IT appeared. A little brown snake about nine or ten inches long came slithering out of his hiding place. After stunning him with my hoe, I carried him to the concrete slab outside my back door. There I proceeded to end his short life. If you have ever seen me go after a snake, you would know that the old girl in the comic strip that whams every snake she sees, would be a Mother Teresa to the reptile community compared to me. My idea of killing a snake consists of the following: chop off the head, chop the remaining body into several pieces, toss the parts on a burning trash pile if one is handy or toss the parts onto the street where at least six cars can run over it. You need to do all this before sundown because I still believe if you don’t completely destroy a snake before nightfall, that dupe will reconstruct himself and be there waiting for you the next day. After working a while longer I found a second snake and then a third one. The last one got away, but I did a good job on the second one.

      Analogy: the snakes in our lives are representatives of the devil. The snakes look harmless; they blend in with their surroundings, but they can grow. Any snake of the devil must be removed from our lives by any means, even extreme measures such as I take with the physical snakes in my yard. Some of snakes that slither into our lives, sometimes almost unnoticed until we are bitten by them, include but not limited to evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, greed, malice, arrogance….and the list goes on. See Mark 7:21

      Because of the delay caused by the snakes, I was not quite through with my planned work when darkness began to fall. Let me tell you something. I don’t have to quit working outside just because the sun has long since set in the west. My children are slave drivers of the best kind. They installed a light in my back yard so I can weedeat, hang clothes on the clothes line, water my plants, feed the animals or any other thing that I might need to do. In addition to the light in the back yard, I am fortunate to live near a very bright street light. Actually the pole is at my front property line. Recently some woman had written the local newspaper complaining about “light pollution”. She stated the street light near her home had become an “encroachment on others’ property and privacy.” I am thankful for the “encroachment”. I have nothing to hide and do enjoy being able to stay outside longer, either working in the yard or visiting with the family. “This is the verdict; Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” John 3:19 Of course, we understand that in this verse, Jesus was referring to himself as the “Light”. He was speaking to Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling counsel, who came to Jesus seeking answers to questions he had about Jesus and Jesus’ ministry. We know that Nicodemus became a believer.

      Finally, I called it a day and came in the house. I know I will have some sore muscles tomorrow, but I have a good supply of Ben-Gay and Zostrix. It was such a beautiful day it was worth the wait and the anticipated pains. I keep remembering how much we all whined last summer about the need for rain. Well, we have been getting it now. Those who are active in agriculture know that we must have good spring rains to condition the soil. Let us be grateful for the rain and now for the sunshine the Lord has sent to us. At a later time I will share with you my thoughts on what caused the lack of rain last summer.

      After a tiring, sometimes exhausting, day in the spiritual world, it is good to withdraw into the presence of the Lord and allow his “ben-gay” and “zostrix” to give relief to our tired bodies, minds and souls. These balms are the Word of the Lord.