Spring is a time of rebirth; new life springing forth from old. My yard is bursting with flowers of all kinds…wisteria draped from the pergola, a climbing yellow rose bush full of fresh blooms, star jasmine scenting the air, my hybrid tea rose bushes putting out the first big crop of roses for the year, and freesia, gazanias, alyssum, and impatiens taking over our planter boxes and flower beds. These are all blooms from things planted long ago; things which looked dreary and dead for the past four months. The earth is singing the praises of this new life from the old. For Christians, this is the time of year that we celebrate the ultimate symbol of rebirth: that of Christ conquering death, rising from the grave, and the new life he gives us because of it. We celebrate all of these things during Easter. This year will be a special Easter for me because I’m expecting the birth of my second grandchild in the days just before Easter and, I hope, I will be there to greet her. So, new life is all around me right now. I plan to celebrate it to the fullest.

There are also lots of signs of new life in the lives of my clients. In my Life Coaching/Marriage Enrichment practice, I focus on forward movement and new life with clients…all kinds of new life. Some clients want to change their living situations. Others want to give life to their dreams about their careers or develop new skill sets. Still others want to breathe new life into their relationships or develop more social connections. There are endless possibilities for growth and change in all areas of our lives throughout our lifetimes. New life can be breathed into nearly all things, even things which appear to be dead and gone...dreams, marriages, family relationships, and long careers.

Perhaps this Easter is a good time to consider where you’d like to see renewal in your own life. Has your job become stale and routine? Are any of your relationships in need of a tune-up? Is your spirit dry and weary? Are you yearning for some new spark of life?

I had one new friend tell me recently that some time after her twin boys were born, she realized that she and her husband never held hands anymore…something they used to do all the time. It seemed that each of them always had one of the twins in their arms or by the hand. She was very distressed by this. She did not want to see their loving connection fade away and die. She wanted that living, breathing connection back again. She wanted new life in her marriage. That is a great realization and a pretty easy one to do something about! Once realized, they could be intentional about holding hands every chance they got. They could hold hands as they said grace, as they fell asleep, as they watched a favorite movie, or sat outside watching those twins play. I think of single friends, relatives, and widows/widowers who do not have that opportunity to touch and hold as often as others with children or spouses. There are still so many possibilities to remedy that…see friends and relatives, hang out with or babysit for young parents, volunteer in your church nursery or with the elderly, and take those opportunities to give a reassuring hug or hold a baby or a toddler in need of comfort. When you give loving human touch, you also receive it and that, too, is new life breathed into old. Endless possibilities.

And so it is with the rest of our lives. But we need to pay attention to the yearnings of our hearts, minds, and souls. What are your yearnings telling you? Sometimes what they tell us is scary, because change can be scary. I would encourage you to listen anyway. There may be hidden treasures there.

In my own life, new life has recently unfolded from old, painful memories of experiences from several decades ago. I had dealt with those experiences as best I could at the time, learned much from them, and then put them away. But the painful thoughts and memories would prick at my heart and soul from time to time. I bathed them in tears and prayers and hope; the hope that springs from faith in a loving savior. And last spring, something began to stir like the strong green leaves of a bulb pushing up through the ground where it was buried years before. I had to be willing to listen to the yearnings of my heart and soul. I had to decide whether I would face these new possibilities with courage or turn away from them. I chose courage and new life and, during a trip this spring, those old, painful memories turned into something new and profoundly beautiful. New life from old. Something beautiful from something buried and hidden in the ground.

The yearnings of our hearts are sometimes quiet yearnings. Often, we can't hear them through the noise of everyday life. They whisper to us that there is more...more life in our relationships, more depth to our souls, more love to share. There is new life where there appears to be nothing but a dead plant or a buried memory. What are the yearnings of your heart and soul? What do you believe is possible through faith and love?

Here are some big questions to consider…

If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?

If you could learn one new thing, what would it be?

What habits or practices are life-giving to you?

What habits or practices are life-draining?

I encourage you to choose one or two of these questions to consider and set aside some time to think about them. Do this for yourself as you consider renewal this Easter. Then begin to think about what’s holding you back, what first steps you could take to move forward, what support you might need to take that first step, and when you will do it.

Since social connections are so important to our well-being, ask a friend or loved one some of these questions and then listen. Listen without interrupting, without judgment, and without advice. Here is a little gem of an acronym to remember…WAIT. WAIT stands for Why Am I Talking?

Let the pauses happen. Give your friend or loved one the space to think. Then follow with something like “Tell me more.” If you do this, you will have given your friend or loved one the gift of truly being heard and known. And that is life-giving and renewing.

Is there rebirth and renewal in your life this Spring? If not, where is renewal needed?

Happy Easter! He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." (Rev. 21:5)

Spring ~ The New from the Old

Three Keys to Strengthen Relationships ~ Part 1

Love and The Edge Effect

When Anxiety Strikes ~ Grounding Techniques to Calm You

For Those Who Mourn, Part 2

For Those Who Mourn

Thanksgiving for the Bread of Life

Fall Reflections ~ Following Your Path

On Becoming Love ~ The Last Chapter

On Becoming Love, Part 5 ~ Solving Your Solvable Problems

Patricia C Marshall