We played family kickball on Sunday and it brought out my silent laugh—the hardest laugh on my laughter scale, accompanied by tears and shoulder shakes. Our puppy Mayflower was trying to get the ball the whole time and it made for a serious challenge. Some kids thought is was funny, others were frustrated and the whole thing was hilarious.
I was looking through the pictures on my phone from the last month and noticed how they went from brown to green as I scrolled. All at once that brown shag carpet turns electric green and springtime comes into full color.
My great wonder this springtime is how does none of this get old?!! Picking up the peeping chicks from the post office, the smell of lilacs, the color combo of bright green, yellow dandelions and blue sky, asparagus on toast, new lambs, bunnies and kittens. I am overwhelmed by the beauty and goodness and wonder of it all.
Last night Elias and I were out at sunset cleaning up the yard and I saw my personal favorite ewe, Esther, gulping the air. I watched for a minute and told Elias, “I think Esther is having her lambs.” She stood and sure enough, there was half a lamb. Elias didn’t think it looked much like a lamb, but I assured him it was and told him to go tell the others. He ran in the house with the joyous news, and by the time we all came back, there was a bright white baby in the pasture being licked all over by her good mama.
This was a real thrill as birthing on pasture is still fairly new to us. It feels risky—like we have less control than having them in pens. But it’s obviously so much more natural and less invasive and we love that. Esther did great and soon after had her second baby. (Of course good shepherd Ivar and good shepherd Rory were up three times in the night checking on all three of them.)
And now good shepherd Alden is making sure these lambs know human touch.
How could it get old? Life is so full of goodness and love and renewal. And I think springtime is God’s annual way to say, “Remember! Don’t forget! I made all of this. And I made it for you.”
