New

I don't think I've ever experienced a more fragrant spring.

As March rolled into April, the crab apple trees and lilacs were in full bloom, and in the chilly evenings the smell filled the air. The slightest breeze would bring it in the window, and sitting on the porch was a delight.

May has brought the irises and the beginnings of summer flowers, but more than that - the Russian olive trees are blooming, and their sweet scent hangs in the air, intensified by the warming days.

I'm amazed as each week passes and more flowers bloom, the lawns green-up, the trees fill-out in their extravagant summer dresses. Each morning the neighborhood is filled with birdsong - a sound we certainly don't hear much under winter's pall. The mourning doves' coos intersperse with the chipper songs, and the sun rises on each new day.

A new day ... a pretty cool concept, really. A new start. A new beginning. The Bible tells us that, "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." (Lamentations 3:22-23) What an amazing idea - that each morning God's mercy and love begin anew.

Like daylilies and morning glories, whose extravagant beauty lasts for only one day, we too have the chance to shine out one day at a time. Man, my heart is so filled with unforgiveness and frustrations - a major issue in my life. But today I have the chance to work at setting those things aside, at choosing love and understanding, at working out my issues as I garden, as I spend time with friends, as I walk through my day.

I'm thankful for this morning, for the slowly brightening sky, for the birdsong. I'm thankful for the bean plants popping out of the earth in my garden, demonstrating for me new ways to grow and be strong. And I'm thankful for each radish I pull, each vegetable I manage to grow - the fruits of my labors. May my spirit show such fruit. May my heart show such growth. May I experience daily new mercies and a new me.