Spiritual Progress

The prayer my soul has been groaning for a few weeks (Rom. 8:26) has finally found words in this poem I found in Karen Andreola's Pocketful of Pinecones: Nature Study With the Gentle Art of Learning, and in finding the words, the new life seems easier to find, as well.



Kindly spring again is here,
Trees and fields in bloom appear;
Hark! The birds with artless lays
Warble their creator's praise.

Where in winter all was snow,
Now the flowers in clusters grow;
And the corn, in green array,
Promises a harvest-day.

Lord, afford a spring to me,
Let me feel like what I see;
Speak, and by thy gracious voice,
Make my drooping soul rejoice.

On the garden deign to smile,
Raise the plants, enrich the soil;
Soon thy presence will restore
Life to what seemed dead before.

by John Newton



***keep in mind I live in South Florida, so since we do not really have seasons, these sentiments echo in my soul more than in the natural world around me!