As the days lengthen and buds emerge, my mind is elated with the thought of our valley turning back into a verdant shade of emerald. Winter is a time to think, plan, and even daydream about the coming days under the sun.
YTI’s new building gave us plenty to think about and plan for this past winter. We have been busy daydreaming about the potential for new plant life to surround it with.
The Lord uses nature as a means to reveal Himself to us. He gently extinguishes our worry by having us consider how He takes care of the flowers in the fields.
Here in Montana, we are surrounded by vast and dramatic beauty that is hard to ignore, but I love the simplicity in considering something as small and humble as a wildflower. It will sit in a mountain meadow, clothed in intricate beauty whether anyone is there to witness it or not. By spending time in nature, our love and understanding of the One who created it will deepen, as will our desire to care for His creation.
I encourage you, as a fellow believer, to plant something this spring (as a gardener, I encourage those in the valley not to plant until after Memorial Day!) Whether you have big dreams of filling a root cellar with food to make it through a Montana winter, or you wish to try your hand at keeping anything alive for a couple of months at best, the endeavor is worthy and worthwhile.
As your plants grow (hopefully) in strength and beauty, let it be a strong reminder to you of Isaiah 58:11, “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”
As G.M. Hopkins put it in “Pied Beauty,” “He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change: Praise him.”