In a flurry of magnificent color, the grass was dotted with wildflowers. The fragrance of spring filled the air gently blowing the blooms in a joyful cadence of new life, new hope, and new opportunity. The dirt path was still moist from the winter thaw. A rustling sound in a nearby bush revealed the curious eyes of a squirrel before it disappeared up a large oak tree.
The sun gleamed with yellow beams making the green leaves glow majestically to the happy song of the robins crafting their spring nests. In the warm afternoon sun new dreams began to stir. Walking in the solitude of the wooded path this girl was not limited by the face she scrutinized in the mirror, or the opinions of her classmates for this little dash of time she was free.
As she looked around at the natural scene of beauty she wished she could pen the feelings that came to mind. She wished she could sketch the purity of the air and the loveliness of the dotted pasture. Somehow life seemed bigger than her present eleventh grade year.
Thinking about Algebra II filled her with anxiety. Unlike the careless whimsical beauty of the nature walk her world was structured and linear. If she didn’t take the right classes, and earn the right grades, she wouldn’t make it to college, and she wouldn’t be able to reach any of her goals.
She had a dream to paint the world. Maybe with a brush stroke of theater or a splash of song details still seemed unclear, but with the crimson color of redemption, she was determined to paint a picture of hope. She wanted everyone to see the greatest beauty she had ever encountered, simply Jesus.
Oh she did wish to be beautiful which her complexion presently didn’t seem to support. She wanted to be smart and eloquent, but lately her words seemed to get scrambled instead of flowing smoothly. If only she could be free like the little rabbits limberly hopping in the distance of the meadow. Why did life feel so heavy, hard, and humbling?
She watched her friends seem to adjust to having part time jobs, driving, and getting good grades in school as if it didn’t take all their concentration? Why couldn’t it feel easy to her too? And boys…it is not that she wanted a boyfriend, but it would be nice to be noticed.
As the thoughts built up inside she shut her eyes tightly. Then after a long moment, she let out a sigh. Looking up into the perfect blue sky peeking through the canopy of trees she lifted her arms in surrender.
“I am not alone,” she whispered. “I can do this because God is with me.”
Such a statement of faith washed the anxiety away. For this moment she was able to embrace the gift of a spring day. A gift that welcomed her admiration without charging admission. In fact, the dirt path welcomed anyone young or old to explore it’s wonder, but today she had taken the time.
Life is like that. No matter who is waking up each day beckons a new opportunity for hope. Sometimes it takes getting away from the normal, the expected, the structured to see that life holds more opportunity than we can fathom if we will just take the time.
As the teenage girl continued to walk she let go of the pressures of her life to breathe in the fresh new hope of spring.
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