Today we have a guest devotional from author Sherri Wilson Johnson.

Psalm 5:3 says “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning, I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”

This morning, while walking my Chihuahua in the quiet of my backyard (after the school buses had run and the noisy neighbors had retreated to the confines of their homes), I realized that spring has sprung. I mean, it has sprung in all of its fullness. Beautiful flowers, green leaves, buzzing bees, and, oh yes, lovely yellow pollen. My head hurts just thinking about the pollen. I even saw a bird flying away with a snake. The chills ran down my spine at the sight of that and then I thanked the bird for carrying off that slithering creature. He was not welcome in my yard.

Despite the snake and the pollen, something brought me peace this morning. Something blossomed in the air other than flowers and buzzing insects. There was moisture in the air. Not the rainy, gloomy kind of moisture. This was a dewy feel. So refreshing!

I thought about how those plants and trees waited all winter in the dryness of the earth to have their chance to burst forth and shout praises to their Heavenly Creator. The birds sang beautiful (almost deafening) melodies as they competed for God’s ear and the squirrels chattered, thanking Him for new life. That dew on the grass and moisture in the air replenished not only the things in my backyard but my soul, as well.

Deuteronomy 32:2 says “Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.” Even though we didn’t have an intense winter this year in Georgia, I am thirsty for what spring has to offer. Spring makes me want to write and read and socialize and do all sorts of neglected projects around the house. God’s spring (His teaching) waters my soul just like the real dew nourishes the grass and plants.

I homeschooled for fourteen years. Usually this time year I’m looking through catalogs and going to homeschool conventions to choose my books for the next year and then I wait for them to arrive so I can plan the new school year. I do not have to do that anymore. I’ve waited for years to have my first novel published and that happened in September 2011 (To Dance Once More). I waited to see if I could get another book contract and when I did, I began the journey of seeing it published. Song of the Meadowlark comes out in May 2012. So what am I waiting for now? I’m waiting for God’s next assignment. I’m sure He has another book for me to write and more blogs to post and more query letters and proposals to write. Hopefully, I’ll attend a writer’s conference this year and possibly have more speaking opportunities.

As far as family goes, we have a lot of individual and family goals that we want to accomplish this year—things we’ve been hoping for and waiting on the Lord for. For a long time!

Although waiting is not enjoyable, it is a part of life. Waiting helps us learn patience. Waiting prevents us from making mistakes—or at least deters us from them for a while. Sometimes we wait and don’t understand why. Later we see that it was God’s way of protecting us from ourselves because what we thought we wanted turned out to be something that we didn’t need. It wasn’t God’s best for us.

Spring is a great time to reevaluate your wish list, to-do list, honey-do list and every other list you may have. It’s a time to seek the Lord on your face and ask Him what He wants for your tomorrow and for the rest of your future. Spring has sprung into action and I encourage you to do the same and to let God’s dew restore your soul.

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Sherri Wilson Johnson is author of To Dance Once More and Song of the Meadowlark. She’s from Georgia—never lived anywhere else. She’s been married since 1988. A former homeschooling mom of her two children (now 21 and 17), she loves to write, read, eat ice cream, ride roller coasters and make people laugh. She loves Jesus and hope to spread His love to the whole world through her writing.

About her book: To Dance Once More is the story of Lydia Jane Barrington, a Victorian debutante. Lydia lives on a plantation in Florida under the watchful eye of her father. She’s quite an independent young lady who does not want to fall into the trap (as she sees it) that her mother and sisters have fallen into—marriage and motherhood. She wants to travel the world and experience life before giving her heart to a man. One day, her eyes are opened to love and no matter what, she cannot forget the blissful feeling it causes. She begins to believe that love isn’t such a bad thing after all. Then she discovers a secret that prohibits any of her dreams from ever coming true. She begins a quest to free herself and her family from a future of bondage. Hearts are broken and lives are torn apart because of Lydia’s own selfishness. Will she surrender to a call that God placed on her life and be able to experience love after all? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

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