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Spring brings so many tangible changes to the world around us. The bare branches of winter begin to bud and bloom. Color begins to trickle in and make gardens, yards, and even highway medians a sight to behold. Green seeps into every landscape. Beautiful yellows, reds, pinks, purples, and blues pop up in garden beds. Leaves appear and flowers bloom. New life seems to materialize overnight. We’re not going to talk about the bugs that come back from wherever they hide during the winter months. Or the pollen that wreaks havoc on every allergy-sufferer. Just focus on the beauty of God’s creation.

There are many illustrations and stories in the Bible about plants or flowers blooming. But I want to focus on one. Psalm 1:3 says “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Trees need water to survive. In fact, I’m pretty sure all life needs water to survive. Root systems are good at searching and finding water to survive. But a tree planted in an ideal place, such as a stream, wouldn’t need to use energy to search for water to survive. Instead it could use its energy to grow. To do what it was meant to do - bear fruit. 

Do me a favor and reread that verse. “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season…” We live in a world of instant gratification. We can access information almost instantly through our phones or computers. But not everything is meant to happen right now. That’s not how it was designed. God designed so much of nature with seasons in mind. Not just the spring,summer, fall, and winter seasons. But seasons of life. Plants begin as seeds which then grow roots, then grow leaves, and then they produce flowers and fruit. You can’t expect a seed to immediately bear fruit. That’s not what it was designed to do. Yes, an apple seed can eventually turn into apples. But you wouldn’t buy a pack of seeds with the expectation of using the apples to bake a pie later in the week. We know that. It’s a silly exaggerated example. But the concept that we, as followers of Christ, will bear fruit in season is important to remember. We will have different seasons throughout life. Sometimes we will see results (or fruit of our labors) right away. But many times we won’t. And that can be frustrating. We want a clear answer the second we ask God a question. But sometimes we’re in a season of waiting. Sometimes God says “not yet”. 

Just like every stage of a plant's development is important, all seasons of your life are important too. They are a part of the story God has painted/designed for you. A righteous man will bear fruit. A follower of Christ will bear fruit. You might not see the results (fruits) of your actions in the moment. And that’s okay. In fact it really can make your story more beautiful - to look back and see what you couldn’t see in the moment. How God was weaving together threads that you weren’t aware of at the time. So if you are in a season of waiting, look around. Just like the life that is in bloom all around us, you too will bear fruit. In His timing. His design. His plan. And that is good.