This past weekend I was blessed with the opportunity to attend an amazing women's conference at my church talking about the importance of worship in all parts of our lives - from worshiping while at church, to worshiping while doing laundry, to worshiping in the midst of really, really hard times.
And because of that, the topic of worshiping and choosing to focus our minds and our eyes upward on Christ in the middle of trials has been something I've been thinking about a lot.
As I've looked out at little flowers starting to bud, and seen the snow clinging to the green shoots that are trying to break up through the surface, I've been realizing how important it is to remember why we're here on earth - to worship our Savior.
I've been remembering the importance of knowing why we fight through hard battles - to worship God. Why we get up each morning and choose joy - to bring glory to our God. Why we love on our children and bless the people around us - to honor Him.
We are here, just like the little flowers and buds on the trees and random flurries of snow, to bring glory to our God, and yet we get to do it in a way none of those things can because we are like Him. And He is our Father.
We can worship Him and train our eyes to look up to Him because He loves us - far more than He loves any other part of His creation.
But we also have to remember that we are still His creation.
He created us to worship Him, to glorify Him, and to bring praise and honor to His Name. If we aren't actively doing that, what are we doing? If we aren't thanking Him with a heart full of grateful worship, what are we doing?
Are we, His mere creations, not worshiping our Creator? Are we complaining and accusing and grumbling, like the Israelites in the desert? Are we doubting and fearful and scared, like His disciples?
Because in all of those circumstances - when we let our hearts be full of the weight and darkness of this world and forget to worship - we are choosing to look down at the muddy, frosty ground in front of us, and not look up to the beautiful blue skies of spring and the tiny green buds on the trees.
We are choosing to look down at our circumstances and forget that the God who created us is still in control! Even in the snow, even in the cold, He is still our God and we are still called to worship Him.
But It's Hard
It's hard to find the green beneath the snow, hard to see the sun peeking over the horizon, hard to look for the flowers beneath the dead weeds - but they're there. And He is here.
Maybe you don't see Him at all. Maybe your snow is so deep, and your weeds are so thick, and the clouds are so heavy that you can't see any of the hope of spring, and you can't see His hope.
Maybe you only see bits and pieces of spring's beauty and hope through the dark shadows winter is still trapping you in. Maybe you are so tired you can't lift your head to look up to Him. Maybe you don't want to even look for hope.
But that doesn't mean He's not right there with you. That doesn't mean He is not walking right beside you, holding your hand, and carrying you.
Just because snow has covered the buds of new life doesn't mean spring isn't coming.
He Is With Us
There's this quote that I really like, or maybe more of a story, that fits this so well.
When you don't see spring coming, when you look around and don't see God, or don't know where He is, or ask Him why - He is still with you. He will never leave you.
And because of that, in that promise, we can worship. We can praise Him. We, His creations, can turn our eyes to Him and glorify Him in everything, because in everything, He is with us.
It's like the tiny little flowers, fighting through the snow, can say we will do this, because it brings Him glory. We will fight and sparkle with the frost and fight to grow because we want to worship Him and point people's eyes to our Maker.
It's like the soft green grass breaking up through the harsh frozen mud can say we will keep on growing and going and fighting because all we want to do is point to Him. All we want to do is worship Him.
And we can do that to. We can say this is hard, and I'm tired, and I just want spring to be here, but I will keep fighting. I will keep pushing through. I will keep trusting. I will keep loving. Because I want to worship you - I can worship you.
Even when it's hard and it seems like the winter will prevail. Even when we're tired and we just want to break under the weight of the snow. Even when there's no end in sight, no spring on the horizon.
Even when we're tempted to give up on hope and give up on worship, we can cling to the Savior that gave up everything for us, and He will carry us. He will be with us.
And it is because of that - not because of a good life or an answer to our prayers or our plan working out - that we worship.
Let's Bloom For Him
This spring, let's lift our eyes and worship Him. Let's bloom and give glory to Him. Like the flowers and the grass and the trees, let's live to point people's eyes to Him, our Creator and our Maker and our Savior.
He has called us to worship Him, so in everything we do, whether it's weading outside or scraping ice off your car or washing dishes in a cold kitchen or pushing kids on swings at the park, let's live our eyes and choose to see Him.
We have been created to worship Him, beautifully formed to sing His praises, and crafted to love Him. He put us here on this earth for His glory - so if we're not looking around us and focusing our minds on Him and worshiping Him, we aren't fulfilling His purpose for our lives.
So maybe you're going through a really good time in your life, or a season full of heartache and crying and darkness. Maybe you're laughing while folding laundry, or having tears in your eyes while packing up boxes. Maybe you can look out and relax in the beauty of the snow, or your heart is heavy with the gloom of a lingering winter and a desperation for spring.
But whatever God has placed in your life, whatever He is walking with you through, worship Him. Raise your eyes to His hope. Rest in His embrace.
And this Spring, let's bloom - let's live our lives and make our choices - for Him, to glorify Him and love Him and point people to Him.
It's hard to fight against the clutching coldness of winter sometimes, but spring is coming.
He is coming.