By Dr. Roger Holl

This week, my wife, Melissa, and I hiked into three different lakes and looked at other lakes in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. We saw so many evidences of the coming of spring. Most of the snow was gone. The lakes were just thawed around the shorelines.

The wildlife was enjoying the warmer weather. At one lake, a beaver flapped his broad tail loudly on the water. Previously, we had a river otter swim back and forth in the shallow melted water’s edge. We saw the cranes and a flight of returning geese. We happened upon a pair of beautiful and colorful male and female Barrow’s goldeneye ducks. They were beautiful together as they were probably nesting. Melissa was thrilled to see leaves starting to come out on the trees. We thoroughly enjoyed the coming of spring on the beautiful Kenai Peninsula.

During the long Alaska winter much of the wildlife seems hidden from us or is hibernating. Certainly the trees and plants appear dead with no leaves. But in the spring, life comes forth and comes forth abundantly in all its glory. In the spring, our Kenai Peninsula becomes lush green with water melted and flowing to provide life. The grouse hatch their young. We see other birds and waterfowl hatch young ones. We see new life in the form of bear cubs, caribou calves, moose calves and new lambs on the mountains. Soon the salmon runs begin.

This has been a sad year and winter for many people. We have seen war, opioid and drug deaths and suicide deaths at high rates. We are starting to learn to live with pandemic, but only after a million American deaths. More millions of American families are grieving. Depression and mental illness are at all-time highs. It has been a dark winter of discouragement for so many.

Today, our nation seems divided with hostility toward the Word of God and toward those who love God and want to be obedient to His Word. But the Word of God offers each of us a new springtime in our lives. New life and blessings pour forth for those who “love God and are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.

In fact, Jesus spoke about our lives and how to live life with love, pure hearts and a high calling. In John 10:10, our Lord spoke about people’s lives, which are experiencing death and destruction, and then said: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Christ also offers us an eternal springtime of love, hope and life. In John 3:16, Jesus said: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”.

Melissa and I wish for you all that you would enjoy the abundance of spring and also chose an eternal springtime for your life and for those you influence.

Dr. Roger Holl is Pastor at the Sterling Grace Community Church, which meets at the Sterling Senior Center at 10:30 am on Sunday mornings. All age groups are welcome. Please join us.