Now that it is officially summer, I want to return to an image from spring.
 It was nearing the end of April and the trees in our backyard still looked barren - as though winter would never end. Then within a few days the trees were covered in leaves and it was clear that spring had arrived.
 I started thinking about the miracle of buds. From a distance you don't see them as they come to the surface and develop. Step in closer and it is apparent that significant change is coming. Soon the leaves will unfurl and cover the tree, a reminder of life renewed.
Life's seasons are like these budding trees. Recently my wife and I passed our children's elementary school and commented on how long ago that phase of life seems now. We watched old home movies and marveled at the busyness of life with three children, ages 3 and younger.
As our children transition from one life stage to the next, we must not lose sight of the buds - the signs of growth, development, and maturation. But to see the buds you must step in close. Otherwise at times it seems as though people undergo overnight transformation, when actually those changes have been developing for a long time, preparing to burst forth.
While there was something wonderful about feeling as though we had gone from winter to spring overnight, there were weeks of hope and promise missed because I hadn't seen the buds forming on our trees.
Step in close. See the buds. Be encouraged!
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Copyright © 2015 by Dr. Stephen Julian. All rights reserved.
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