RevGals Friday Five: Spring Forward!

Jan, over at RevGals offers this Friday Five:

Whether we liked it or not, we all "sprang forward" with the change to daylight savings time in the USA this past Sunday. There is lightness and brightness slipping in as spring approaches, so let us consider what is springing forth in our lives right now.

Name 5 things that are springing forth, possibly including:

what you hope for
I can't say just yet, but yes, something I've been hoping for has happened. It's very exciting. But more than that, I really hope for some stability to settle over our world. I suspect we have always been a people who choose violence and war to get our way, but I just hope we can make greater efforts to minimize this and find other ways to resolve conflicts.

what you dread
I am saddened by the events in Japan and the impact on these people and the world, not to mention the on going issues in Haiti, Egypt, Libya, and other places around the world. I dread further collapses of nuclear facilities and economies and homes and work...so much tragedy everywhere.

what you observe
I observe some people choosing to be gracious and kind, mindful of their words, seeking compassion as a response to those who prefer to fuel fear and anxiety with words that distort reality. I observe that some of that fear-mongering energy is losing momentum.

what is concrete
Not much of anything is concrete, most of life is fluid, changing. Concrete for me? That God loves us, loves creation, and is forever working to restore the chaos, whether human-made or nature-caused, and bring forth order, peace, and well-being. I think God's desire for all creation is that.

what is intangible
Well, people often think that God's presence and God's response to us and the world is "intangible." Trusting God's faithfulness to us and all creation is one way we begin to see the movement of God. Looking back over our lives also helps, for it is often in hindsight that we can see God at work. More than once over the course of my life I have felt deep despair, lost in a wilderness of anxiety, worry, grief, certain that God had abandoned me....only to look back a year or two (or more) later and recognize God's work in my life...and when I do, all I can do is laugh in delight. Right? Intangible God? Yes, but not really....that's what faith is all about.