Several years ago, I heard this quote of Martin Luther during a "Secret Church" podcast by pastor David Platt: "Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime." These insightful words of this great reformer remind us that God has designed springtime as a natural testament to his redemptive plan. Spring is juxtaposed with winter. Winter is a season symbolic of death or lifelessness, while spring is symbolic of life and hope. In the winter, we eagerly await the coming of spring, flowers blooming, animals playing, and a warmer sun. This cycle of nature is an annual reminder of what it represents: Jesus's triumph over death after laying in his grave for three days, which we celebrate at Easter, as well as Jesus's triumphant return that we are still waiting for with hope and longing. How wonderful that God gives us such beautiful things as flowers to remind us of his goodness and gospel!
Shortly after hearing Luther's words, I was inspired to write a children's poem expressing the parallels between natural seasons and God's redemptive story that we read about in the Bible. I hope you enjoy it as we transition into springtime and celebrate Holy Week and Easter! Feel free to share this with your own children as you seek to teach them the meaning of Easter.
Every Leaf of Spring
(by Elizabeth McGee, 2013)
In the beginning
It was summer all the time,
And everyone was perfect,
And everything was fine.
But summer went away
At the moment of the fall.
And God promised us he'd make a way
For summer to return, once and for all.
The wait felt like forever,
But one fateful winter night
Jesus came to rescue us
And make all wrong things right.
He faced all of winter's icy dread
And felt death's stinging pain.
Just when he seemed defeated,
He woke up, alive again!
Still, seasons come and seasons go,
And life still sometimes stings.
But my Jesus is returning, this I know
By every leaf of spring.
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