*The following is an excerpt from Words for Spring, a compilation of prayers and liturgies released by The Austin Stone. The liturgies in each section—spring, Easter, and vignettes—invite people to dwell with God and know Him more deeply in any season of life, whether that’s one of grief, joy, worry, or hope.
As spring shoots through the soil,
My heart, hesitant to waken,
Feels the pull of winter’s breath
Relinquishing its grip.
Spring’s life, first sown
In winter’s hard-earned labor,
Reminds me that hope
Is birthed in winter’s trial.
A sleepy longing finds my soul.
Afraid to let it grow,
I find reticent retreat
In worry’s eerie comfort.
Did I let it slip, this winter’s gift?
What seeds will last?
What life will come from what’s been sown?
Can You lighten?
Can You lift?
Will You revive, restore, and renew
All that winter has deadened?
I hear Your voice,
A warming breeze.
“My child, each bloom and fruited flower
Is upheld by My Word.
”Help me now to see,
In the wake of new beginnings,
In the constancy of change,
That You remain the same.
The sparrow’s song,
A pointed hymn,
Tells of Your tender care.
In sowing and in reaping
Your presence is more dear.
The lilies’ rise and twirl,
A well-spun sonnet,
Declares Your provision,
Your majesty
Arrayed in mindful beauty.
The scent of each new flower—
A calm to focus senses—
Invites a steadied breath,
A chance to look upon the Son.
In pace with this season’s opening,
Permit me to move forth in faith,
To on You wholly lean,
And find my soul in sync
With the resurrecting King.
