Chappy’s On Eagle’s Wings
The Newness of Life in Spring
by Ron Ringo
Each year we have the blessing of witnessing the newness of life in what we call “SPRING.” While we rejoice in the beauty and the renewing of life during this time of year, we often remain cautious or even a bit reluctant to believe that old man winter won’t rear his ugly head again with a late season storm.
I think that we sometimes do this in our everyday life as well. We have been taught the blessings of the Passover season, the Promise of Easter and Christ’s conquering of the grave showing that there is life after death. Especially when we lose someone dear to us, we sometimes question in our minds and heart if we will ever see them again. However, as Paul taught in Romans 6:4, “Like as Christ was raised up from the dead…, even so we also should walk in the newness of life.”
This does not only apply to when we leave this earthly probation. It is something that God wants us to enjoy and experience in the here and now. His whole message is meant for us to have Hope in this future life with Him and to have Joy in this life now with Him.
What would we do differently or how would we live differently, if we knew we only had a short time left here on earth? Would we spend our time making sure everything at work was done or spend more of our time with loved ones? Would we spend our time worrying or enjoy the simple pleasures all around us? I believe that most of us would choose to live our lives to their fullest. We would take and make the time to enjoy life more completely.
Being Irish myself, an old Irish springtime song, “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” shares the message this way;
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There’s a tear in your eye,
And I’m wondering why,
For it never should be there at all.
With such power in your smile,
Sure a stone you’d beguile,
So there’s never a teardrop should fall.
When your sweet lilting laughter’s
Like some fairy song,
And your eyes twinkle bright as can be;
You should laugh all the while
And all other times smile
And now smile a smile for me.
When Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter
You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away.
For your smile is a part
Of the love in your heart,
And it makes even sunshine more bright.
Like the linnet's sweet song,
Crooning all the day long,
Comes your laughter and light.
For the springtime of life
Is the sweetest of all
There is ne'er a real care or regret;
And while springtime is ours
Throughout all of youth's hours,
Let us smile each chance we get.
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This newness of life that we experience each spring can be a part of our attitude all year long if we seek to put it in our hearts and on our faces. It is what most people drop down and ask for in their prayers. It is what most of us say we wish we had more of. The beauty of it is, we can have it throughout the year if we would look all around us for the joy of life, the precious, sweet, simple and most important things of life—those who share their lives with ours.
As we put away the fears of the unknown and the uncontrollable, we actually become a new person—a person of faith, joy and hope. God has promised this to each and every one of us. That doesn’t mean there won’t be difficult or hurtful times, but it does mean that that there is a newness around the corner, if we can only remember that. This promise has been expressed in a poem written by Helen Steiner Rice entitled,
“Each Spring God Renews His Promise.”
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Long, long ago in a land far away,
There came the dawn of the first Easter Day.
And each year we see that promise reborn,
That God gave the world on that first Easter Morn.
For in each waking flower and each singing bird,
The promise of Easter is witnessed and heard,
And spring is God’s way of speaking to men,
And renewing the promise of Easter again.
For death is a season that man must pass through,
And, just like the flowers,
God wakens him, too.
So why should we grieve when our loved ones die,
For we’ll meet them again in a “cloudless sky”;
For Easter is more than a beautiful story,
It’s the promise of life and eternal glory.
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May we seek to look at the beauties of this life more clearly and more often; not waste our time, whatever that remains for us, on worldly cares and worries. Let us, “Seize the day,” renew our life and bless others along the way. This is my prayer for us all, this week. My hope is that you will have had a great Easter-Passover Season.
As always, it is my hope that this message will help you this week to, “mount up as on eagle’s wings”, and renew a little of your strength to keep moving forward and find joy… (Isaiah 40:31)
Until next time, may God bless you and may God continue to bless our great nation… SEMPER FI
Chaplain Ringo, is the Command Chaplain at MCRD H&S BN, holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Counseling, and is a Certified Trauma Specialist.
Chaplain Ringo is a good friend and supporter of HealthWalk’s. We are grateful that he is working with us on our integrated total health approach to enhancing and restoring our veterans’ resilience for re-engagement and for their transition from the high operational tempo back to their families and civilian life.