Return to Springtime

First love is always as fresh as spring––and springtime is one of the mightiest forces in nature. Lovelessness, on the other hand, is like the cold, barren grip of winter, chilling the heart’s affection. Jesus reminds us that living out our original love brings a warm, gentle breeze into our hearts.

As caregivers, we must maintain a warm emotional temperature toward those we serve. That’s not always easy. We have to overcome familiarity, which, as the saying goes, breeds contempt. Even the reassuring ruts of routine can frost our hearts.

At the end of World War II, Allied forces sweeping across Germany searched farms and houses for snipers. At one abandoned place, searchers with flashlights entered the basement where a victim of the Holocaust had scratched a Star of David on a crumbling wall. Beneath the star, in rough lettering, was the message:

I believe in the sun—even when it does not shine.
I believe in love—even when it is not shown.
I believe in God—even when He does not speak.

As Christians, with the Holy Spirit living inside, we should be able to speak those same words—always looking forward to the day God does speak, saying, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21 KJV). When life turns cold, return to the springtime of your first love!