Spring from Dead Hope
by Tina Yeager
Frost-blackened shrubs crumbled at my touch a few weeks ago. A landscape of forlorn trees and wilted plants drooped around me. I shivered inside at the resemblance to my fruitless work. The winter had stretched longer for my ministry than for this frigid yard.
I asked the Lord whether hope remained for harvest when my writing seemed utterly barren. He encouraged me to persist.
Trust me more than your own senses.
Winter’s lure tempted me to succumb and lie numb in the cold, stark earth’s clutches. The Spirit breathed his word into me each day and urged me to persist with one small task at a time. In the past few weeks, messages of encouragement and invitations sprouted from my inbox.
Easter week, spring’s warmth kissed fresh buds onto our twiggy red maple and cherry saplings. The wilted shrubs I’d left for dead exploded with leaves. I misunderstood the winter as a hopeless destination, but now the Lord has shown me the truth.
We serve a Savior who specializes in raising abundant life from the dead. He created all existence from a hopeless void. And recreates our souls, ministries, dreams from fruitless waste into powerful reflections of his glory. We can trust the one who has the “power to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:21) long before we see any signs of spring.
Precious Savior, thank you for redeeming my soul. Keep my senses attuned more to your Spirit than to current outcomes. Guide my heart and work to reflect your life. Amen.
Award-winning author, speaker, licensed counselor, and life coach, Tina encourages audiences to fulfill their potential. She offers writing workshops through Serious Writer Academy, hosts the Flourish-Meant podcast, and is head mentor with Word Weavers International. Beautiful Warrior, her book on women’s esteem is available through New Hope Publishers. To connect with her, visit tinayeager.com.