Springtime: what a beautiful phenomenon. For the last five years, I have enjoyed the way the African savanna transforms from hot, dry, and brown into many beautiful shades of green each May and June. However, it’s not the same as spring in a temperate climate. It’s when the cold and snow of winter melts away, when the first brave flowers poke up from the moist soil and cover the forest floor. When leaves and blooms erupt from the bare tree branches. I loved spring each year when I lived in Ohio full-time, but since this year should be my only chance to savor spring for another five years or so, I enjoyed every moment I could get. It’s a visible picture of the renewal I seek during these months of furlough, when the pace of life and ministry can slow down a little, as I enjoy unhurried closeness with God as I seek His hand for these moments and those coming when I return to Togo, and as I enjoy His beauty through the beauty of His creation blooming around me.
On this last day of spring, please take a moment to enjoy some of the beauty of God’s creation this spring from my point of view. If you get the idea that I love waterfalls, you would be correct, especially since there aren’t many to see in the flat savanna near Mango!
Melissa Friesen 