Spring… and second chances…

I love spring!

Well, I love EACH season as it arrives—summer, with it’s heat; autumn and the stunning colors is brings, winter- with the knowledge that our fields will soon be blanketed with snow, and spring—because I can instantly shed 10 lbs without the need for a winter coat and boots. 🙂

But my favorite part of spring is the rebirth.

Things coming back to life after a long dormancy.

I know, it sounds hokey; and for those of you who don’t live where there’s a “real” winter; I don’t expect you to fully understand.

But here in northern Ohio, but it’s been a LONG winter.

And it’s almost warm enough here to open the windows and “blow the stink out.” (They’ve been closed since October.)

My daffodils, tulips and hyacinths are blooming, my lilacs and fruit trees are budding and I may not even need a sweatshirt tomorrow.

There’s a pair of bluebirds building a nest in the kids’ swingset.

I got part of my garden planted this week—onions, carrots, lettuces, peas, broccoli and cauliflower.

Spring is here and it’s GLORIOUS!

Spring brings change… and it’s a good change.

For me, it’s a season of second chances.

A chance to do a few things differently than the way I did them before.

Sometimes doing things differently is an easy decision.

Other times… not so much.

Sometimes the decision to change is, in itself, easy to make- but the implementation is difficult.

Changing what you eat….

What you watch on TV….

Your exercise habits….

ANY habit….

How you spend your money.

You want to be a better example for your children….

less complaining, more thankfulness….

less worry, more joy….

less keeping, more giving…

less about ME and more about my Father in heaven who IS

every season

every breath

every breeze

every snowflake

every raindrop

every ray of sunshine

every Robin’s egg

every rainbow

every second chance.

The kids we bring for hosting….

They don’t often get a second chance.

In many cases, for the rest of their lives, they’ll be labeled—

 ORPHAN

WORTHLESS

UNLOVED

REJECTED

TROUBLEMAKER

MISTAKE

EASY TARGET

And while hosting these kids is no guarantee of “redemption”… it DOES give them a second chance. A chance to be—

LOVED

AT PEACE

CHOSEN

PART OF A FAMILY

ACCEPTED

PROTECTED

INCLUDED

CHERISHED

A chance to hear about JESUS

A chance to feel HIS LOVE

A second chance at LIFE.

Hosting sign-ups are almost over for the remaining Eastern European kids; and for some this is their LAST CHANCE at a second chance.

If God is speaking to you about hosting— advocating— giving— sharing— getting involved—please… do not wait.

Don’t assume someone else will step up. If He’s calling you—there’s a reason.

It could be that YOU are the second chance… or even the last chance for one of our remaining children.

Spring is here.

But spring, like second chances- has a time limit.

And time is running out.