A Single Reflection
Column by Eileen Hershberger

With spring slowly trying to make its way across my corner of the world, I was thinking about the newness and promise spring always brings. There is something magical about watching the world awaken from its winter slumber and begin to be filled with the vibrant colors of spring. The green of the grass, the yellow of the daffodils, the birds singing, the longer days—all give a sense of hope and future, with the drabness of winter forgotten. The world seems new again and we are left with the promise of a long summer, enjoying the all the things that make summer one of the best seasons of the year.

Flipping through my Bible, looking for a particular verse, my eye caught sight of a passage in Isaiah that I had highlighted a few years ago when I was dealing with the transition of leaving a job I loved and had been at for 14 years, and trying to find my way through the confusing world of a first time college student. I stopped in my search to read these verses and was struck at the incredible promise they held and how much it still applies. Isaiah 43:18-19: "Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert" (NASB). This rings with a wonderful sense of newness and hope. We are not to focus and dwell on the winter (or the past) we have been through, but on the knowledge that God is doing something new. Why is it so much easier to "call to mind the former things" and "ponder the things of the past"? Ponder, a word we don’t use a lot, means "to weigh in the mind; to think about and reflect upon". The phrase "call to mind" carries a sense of purposeful remembrance. God says "Don’t do it. Don’t dwell on these things that are in the past. Look at what I am going to do and what I have already started doing! Stop letting the past consume you and look to me. I am here and I am working, if you only will take the time to see."

And look at what God said He is doing—roadways in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. Think about it. What would it take to make a roadway through a place that has never seen anything like a road, or a river in a desert—a dry, hot, barren place? Both are impossible, yet God says this is what He can do—what He is doing, if only we would be aware of it. (Aware means "having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge".) And in this awareness, comes the strength to carry on, the courage to keep trusting, and an understanding of the greatness of God.

As spring comes to your corner of the world, you have a choice. You can continue to dwell on those things in the past and miss what God is doing now, or you can decide to live by the promise in Isaiah 43, and be aware of what God is doing all around you, in your job, your family, your friends and your circumstances. The choice is entirely up to you.

(I never did find the verse I was looking for.)

About the Author: Eileen Hershberger is a full-time student pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education, and a part-time server. She enjoys reading, music, travel and baseball when not working or studying.

© 2008 Eileen Hershberger.