Better Late

Poetry often helps me reflect—both reading it and writing it. Recently, around Easter—in fact, it may have been the day itself—I wrote a poem titled “Spring Is Slow This Year.” If you remember, Easter was an unseasonably cool day and there were almost no leaves to speak of and only a couple of the early bloomers flowering.

I’m grateful for how resilient the daffodils and dogwoods seemed to me this year. Their flowering seemed like a resistance, an insistence that spring would arrive. And, it is arriving—kind of. It will. I mean, as I write this, there is a high chance of snow this week in April. But, spring will fully arrive.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven… He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 11

Folks inclined to poetry often project their inner life out into the world—kind of seeing outside what is going on inside. And, they often see something out in the world that grabs their attention and helps them sort their inner life—kind of seeing inside because of what is going on outside. It is usually a bit of both, a bit of dialogue. I’m grateful that in all of that poetry has a way of framing the processing of this messy life in a beautiful way. It’s fitting that God would use so much of it in His Book.

I find myself in a “season of in-between,” so it makes sense that I might notice the slow spring and wonder about it. In terms of Easter, I still feel like I am living in “Holy Saturday,” the stillness and silence between the agony of Good Friday and the triumph of Easter Sunday. Holy Week and Easter weekend have come and gone, and here I am still “in-between.” I am making a long transition between where I was and where I will be, and here I am seeking to be faithful in little things while I wait.

What about you? Have you been there? Are you there now?

What have you learned so far? How have you grown?

For me?

I am learning contentment. I am noticing how paying attention and counting my many blessings helps me be more fully present with God and others. “Be grateful—here, now, over and over!”

I am learning to look beyond my desired destination to my ultimate destination. This slow spring is a challenging yet hopeful picture. Spring will come. So will my next season of life and ministry. So will “on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:10) “Hope! Come what may. Heaven’s coming!”

You know? Better late than never, as they say. Better slow spring than no spring. And, followers of Jesus have hope in promises that are surer than the seasonal spring or daily dawn, don’t we? Yes, we sure do.

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you…” (2 Pet. 3:8-9)

“Patient.” Oh yeah, I remember that Jesus doesn’t want to just get me to where He is leading me. He wants to do some good work in me and through me along the way.

“Beloved.” Oh yeah, Jesus loves me right here in the “in-between” when I’m not being as productive as I was or as I’m sure I will be in the future. Whether I do or don’t, whether here or there, I am loved. You are, too.

One day our present will be eternity, experiencing a day or thousand years like God does. Maybe our slow springs and seasons of in-between are preparing us for thoroughly understanding and enjoying God’s sense of timing, the Presence of eternity.