Is It Spring Yet?

Boy, it's sure been cold lately! How many of you are ready for spring to get here? I love the warmer weather and beautiful flowers that come in spring. I can hardly wait! Do any of you know what (today, tomorrow, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.) is? It's Groundhog Day. Does anybody know what Groundhog Day is? (Give a chance for answers and explain if no one knows the tradition of the groundhog and his shadow.)

Let me show you something. I brought a calendar/calendars with me today and they are marked with Groundhog Day and the first day of spring. (Show the children the calendar and count the weeks between Groundhog Day and the first day of spring. Do this with each calendar you have.) See, the first day of spring is always about 6 weeks after Groundhog Day! Does this mean that the groundhog always sees his shadow? What if it's cloudy and rainy? Does the groundhog decide when spring gets here? Of course not! God controls the weather and the seasons, not an animal. Sometimes, the weather gets nice earlier than we expect, but it is because God planned it that way - not because some groundhog didn't see his shadow!

Just like God has plans for the plants and flowers to grow and blossom and be beautiful, He has plans for us to grow and blossom and be beautiful to Him. Sometimes, we will have "groundhogs" in our lives that will try to tell us when something good will happen, but a lot of times they are wrong. The Bible tells us, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" and that God "made every thing beautiful in his time". We need to be patient and remember that God is the one who decides when things happen. Sometimes waiting is hard, but God has the perfect plan to help us grow and blossom the way He wants us to and become beautiful in His eyes.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for all the seasons you give us. Please help us to be patient and wait for all the good and beautiful things you have planned for us. In Jesus name, Amen.