03/09/2026
This week's love-note from Chris:
Dear friends,
The start of Spring is always a delight to me; almost as much as the joy of the first summer rains 😊.
Have you noticed some of the trees sprouting their first foliage? Soon they will be covered with bright, vibrant green leaves.
Spring reminds us of new beginnings and fresh starts.
In Psalm 51:10 David writes:
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
And through the prophet Isaiah, God says:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not see it?” Isaiah 43:18-19
Our Lord’s activity in us and in the world is all about life, creation, beauty and new things – new ideas, new life, new hope.
But Spring is also the season of the Spring Clean. We clean out cupboards, clear out gardens, sort through clothes and throw away the things we no longer use or need.
Perhaps that is a good picture for our spiritual lives too.
The writer of Hebrews says:
“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” Hebrews 12:1
Sometimes, before you can make room for something new, you need to let go of something old.
There may be habits, attitudes, hurts, resentments, fears or even relationships that have begun to clutter your life and hinder your walk with God. Some things you have simply carried for too long. And just as you keep things in your cupboards because you might need them one day, you can hold on to things in your life that God is asking you to release.
So perhaps this Spring you need to do a bit of a Spring Clean of your life.
What needs to be thrown out? What needs to be forgiven? What do you need to let go of? What is cluttering your heart and making it difficult to hear what God is saying?
And then, having made some space, look for the new thing God is doing.
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not see it?”
I pray that this Spring will bring a renewing of your heart, mind and spirit – as you allow God to clear out what needs to go, and make room for the new things he wants to grow in your life.
KEEP PRAYING, KEEP CARING, KEEP SERVING
With my love,
Chris
