Experience the Blossoms

I heard someone recently say, “If April showers bring May flowers, we are in for a treat.” It has been a LONG, rainy winter. Although I personally don’t suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, I have been feeling the dreariness of the weather this year. When the sun popped out at the end of April, I took to my garden to rejoice and be glad.

I suspect many of you might have had similar reactions to the sunny days coming along. It feels like an all-star summer coming up for us. Not only are the Mariners hosting this summer’s MLB All-Star Game, but we are finally really coming back to a normal post-pandemic life. You will see the return of summer gatherings, and I would encourage you to contact Hospitality Elder Nancy Tucker to host one of your own. Remember, the Pastor loves to join you for those events. 😁 You’ll also hear how VPC will be participating in the Strawberry Festival. From putting our chairs for the parade to hosting a kids’ play area, we are embracing this post-pandemic festival coming in July!

Our experience with Covid and with a long, rainy, dark winter has reminded me of the journey of faith. There are seasons in our lives when it feels hard to trust that God is in control. Recently, someone shared with me that there are seasons where faith comes easy and seasons where it is just much harder. Isn’t that the reality we all experience? I so appreciated this person naming the feeling and recognizing that this Christian walk we are each on isn’t without twists and turns and rocks that cause us to stumble or get tired. And still, God is God, and God is faithful even when we don’t always feel it.

Perhaps, the glimpse of the sun onto our PNW hearts and bodies is analogous to those moments when we “feel” that connection, when we experience the presence of God in our lives even when life is hard. As we gravitate outside, eager to soak up some natural Vitamin D, I pray that we also gravitate to those practices that ground and encourage our faith. I pray we spend time in God’s Word, both together and individually, and that we encourage one another and build each other up as siblings in Christ.

I pray that you experience the blossoms of this spring and summer, both in the physical season and in your own hearts. I also pray that you share what you see! Together, we continue forward, in Christ, through Christ, and with Christ. Let the blossoming begin!