Photo by Sandy Johnson

I love spring in the Great Plains.  I love the look of the grass as it peeks through the blackened dirt after a field has been burned.  I love the smell of smoke in the air.  I love the muted look the smoke gives the farmlands around us when the sun shines through it.  For those of you who don’t live in the heartland, you probably don’t understand why my thoughts of spring relate so much to fire.  You see, each spring the Flint Hills light up with lines of fire.  These controlled burns destroy all the dead undergrowth left over after the cold of winter and clear the pastures of parasites.  Farmers do this so new, fresh, healthy grass can grow back in its place.  It’s a beautiful and powerful sight for those of us who live here.  

Photo by Michelle Tessaro. Check out http://www.michelleslens.com!

Recently I realized that this practice is much like what some of us attempt to do during Lent.  Lent is a time when some Christians choose to give up something that they care about for the 40 days prior to Easter.  We do this because we want draw closer to God through our sacrifice—it’s 40 days long to remind us of the 40 days that Jesus went into the wilderness to fast and be tempted.  Every time we think of the item that we have sacrificed, we instead turn our hearts toward God and the greatest sacrifice ever.  There’s something special about this time.  It’s a time where we really evaluate what is important in our lives—and what we can do without.  It’s like spring-cleaning for our hearts:  just as the burning fields clean out the dead undergrowth that survived the winter, Lent asks us to give up things that we’ve been holding onto that aren’t good for us and we don’t need, all while drawing closer to the One and only God.  

This year, instead of giving up something I really like for Lent, God asked me to break the rules.  I decided to ask God what part of my life He wanted me to give up—what needed to be burned away.  He showed me areas I didn’t want to see.  He showed me ways I’d hurt those that I love, and asked me to give up something I didn’t even know I’d become attached to—harsh words.

Lately, I’ve been convicted that we as Christians need to behave more like Christ in the political arena.  I’ve written about this conviction in the past, but this revelation was new.  I’ve worked to tame my tongue on social media and in public, but God showed me how I’ve been harsh with my daughter.  He spoke to my troubled heart: “Don’t forget her, she’s so much more important than the world…”

Photo by Travis Harrison

It’s like she’s standing on a cliff.  She’s teetering between the young woman she wants to be and one that is ruled by her hormones and emotions. Her behavior is, sometimes, very frustrating to me.  I find myself saying things like, “You’re being such a brat!”  and, “What’s wrong with you!”  Granted, there are much worse things that I could be saying, but the fact that even though she was acting like a brat, and she does seem to lose her mind at times, it doesn’t give me the right to point out to her what she already knows.

You see, she knows that she’s being difficult, and she doesn’t like that she is.  In her heart of hearts, she wants to be the sweet, kind, and empathetic child she used to be—but her hormones, her strong will, and her pride are keeping her from doing that right now.  

The old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones,

but words can never hurt me,” is a lie straight from the pit of hell.

The old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me,” is a lie straight from the pit of hell.  Scripture tells us quite the opposite.  It tells us in Proverbs 18:9 that “death and life are in the power of the tongue…”  Over and over, scripture says that our words are powerful, and we have the ability to speak good into the world or speak evil.  We can conquer demons, defeat enemies, and heal relationships with our words. My words, whether accurate or not, have power in my daughter’s life.  I can choose to speak joy, peace, and love into her life, or I can choose to push her over the cliff she’s teetering on.  And, that power rests with me.

This Lenten season, every time I’ve gotten angry or frustrated with her sass or over-reactions, I’ve turned my heart toward God and asked that He give me the words that speak life into her–instead of discouragement– while still correcting her behavior.  God is working on her.  He’s been burning down brush piles in her heart—just like He’s doing in mine.  I can’t forget that.  I need to be on her team, to be the voice that helps bring new life to the barren field left behind her anger and frustration.  I am to be there and love her unconditionally after the last ember has died off.  After all, that’s what God has done for me.  

I love spring. I love the promise of new life—eternal life.  I love how God renews the earth and my heart each year.  Thank you Lord for remaking me…Burn me up, Lord.

Photo by Natalie Winters

Staying alert in Christ,

Megan

For more information about why pastures are burned: http://thepioneerwoman.com/blog/2011/05/why-we-burn-our-pastures/

Playlist:

“Speak Life” Toby Mac:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeBv9r92VQ0

“Wonderful Words of Life”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7x3OX6v5_o

“Words”  Hawk Nelson:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anVweXDcxhA

“Making Me” Sidewalk Prophets:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGkmPeVpBbI

“Starts with Me” Tim Timmons:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pslWA2VRmxg