AFSC News

Chaplain's Message for AFSC: Fun Friday Thought, The dead of winter has passed and now we see life spring forth

  • Published
  • By Capt Joshua Wright, Chaplain
  • 72nd Air Base Wing

Here is this week’s Fun Friday Thought. Adapted from How Great is Our God devotional series.

Genesis 1:31 “God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good.”

Sunday, March 20, 2022, marked the first day of Spring. For many school systems around the OKC area it marked the end of Spring Break, which left many children weeping as they made their back to school.  But it is once again that time of year where we begin to see warmer weather, hear birds chirping, and see flowers and trees start showing their brilliant colors. The dead of winter has passed and now we see life spring forth in a glorious testament to the Creator’s ability to make all things new. It is also a nice reminder of the resiliency that has been inherently built into the created order.

Often the season of Spring causes people to “stop and smell the roses.” This metaphor simply reminds us to slow down or to relax. But have you ever literally stopped and smelled a rose? The sweet smelling aroma from a rose is actually from the chemical rose oxide (roze AWK-side). Rose oxide is made up of four different chemicals that balance in just the right way to give us that pleasant aroma. Now, scientifically we can explain away the smells from roses, and other plants, as simply nature’s way to attract incents and animals. But I submit to you that is their secondary purpose. Their primary purpose is to showcase the wonder, majesty, and creative design of the Creator. The Psalmist declared this in Psalm 19:1 when he said, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” So, God cares not only about the big things, but also the small things, like how a plant smells.

As you go out this weekend, take time to relax…to slow down. Stop and appreciate the world that is before your eyes. Appreciate those that you work with on a daily basis. Appreciate your family and friends. Appreciate the precious life you have been given. You are of value to those around. You were made for a reason and you are loved more than you will ever know.

Fun Fact: A rose is called bara (bah-RAH) in Japanese, rosa (ROH-zuh) in Italian, and meigui (MAY-gwee) in Chinese.

Have a great weekend!

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