‘“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?”—Psalm 42:1-2

Spring has taken its own sweet time to uncoil and leap into the greening of the earth. Our experience of March was –20 degree temperatures. April brought spring showers of a sort; white and deep. Our neighbors not too far to the east record somewhere around 50” of April snow. Spring was stuck in a crouch, a jack-in-the-box with a closed lid.

The delay, I’ve noticed, leaves many moods in darkness. Not out of hand or out of control, yet blue, a bit grumpy, more tense, and perhaps on a precarious edge. Such reports come from schools, businesses and other organizations. The rhythm of life is interrupted and our inner workings long for the refreshment of spring as it turns into the light and warmth of summer.

So it is with our following of the Crucified and Risen Jesus. To quote Tom Petty, “The waiting is the hardest part.” We wait for Good News, light in darkness. When will I be cured? How can I resolve my broken relationships? I wish I could get that doctor’s report now! When will news come from a loved one, lost or maybe even at war? When will my economic stimulus check arrive?

Where are you in the middle of these things, O God? For you my soul waits; for your mercy my soul thirsts. I need to see and experience your love in the very real moments of my day.

Just when it we turn to warm weather and long sunlit days, we arrive at summertime, the period when most of us tend to become more slack in attention to the health of our souls. Yet the refreshment of the Good News, of following in the way of Jesus is exactly what we need most. This Living God calls us to seek the Divine Face in all life’s happenings. God is there, if we pry a little deeper.

As we flow into the summer months, take time to refresh your soul with Good News.

* Worship regularly. Olivet continues two Sunday morning worship times, 8:30 and 10:00am, as well as Wednesday at 5:30pm. On vacation or at the lake, seek out a local congregation for your weekly worship experience.

*Call Olivet’s Daily Devotion line, or receive e-mail devotions from Olivet or other sources.
* Join a Summer Bible Study
* Read one chapter or even one verse from the Bible each day
* Find a devotional booklet; thousands are available.

Our souls long for the Divine, whether we realize it or not. Drink deep, and may both summer and times of waiting be blessed.