Last week, I wrote about change and its omnipresence. It happens every day and comes in every moment. Sometimes we are prepared; sometimes we are not. If you are breathing, you are involved in change.

Change for me happened on a grand scale last Sunday. That was my final time preaching as a full-time minister. That stage of my life is over. It happened sooner than I wished, but it happened, nonetheless.

I stepped out of the pulpit with my head held high and my integrity intact. Is it a challenge to start over at the ripe old age of 64? You betcha! But is it a challenge I’m prepared to embrace? You betcha again! It didn’t happen all at once. It took time to wrap my head around it.

It was very tempting to bemoan my fate, wring my hands, and complain. To be fair, I did a bit of that, probably more than I should have. But with my wife, Dad, mother-in-law, and some really good friends, I wasn’t allowed to wallow for very long. They were patient but firm, and I am thankful for their support and encouragement.

My last sermon was from Matthew 14, the story of Peter walking on the water to meet Jesus. Often, we preachers like to focus on the moment Peter took his eyes off Jesus—as a warning against wavering faith. 

But this time, I wanted us to see something different. Yes, Peter had a moment of fear that overcame his faith. That is fair to see, but maybe we should focus on the fact that Peter stepped out of the boat!

I find that story applicable to me at this stage of life. Maybe it will be beneficial to you, too. There comes a time when we must get out of the boat to experience what God has in store for us! So, the moral of the story for me, and possibly for you, is this: “Swing those legs over the gunwale and stand. Let’s walk out in faith and trust together.” 

Here we go on a grand new adventure that begins anew each day. What a blessing to live in a world with an abundance of opportunities!

And while you are at it, never forget God’s promise: “Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19 CSB)

Les Ferguson, Jr. is a minister and faith-based author. He can be reached at lfergusonjr@gmail.com

I looked up ‘sprung’ in the dictionary. From what I can tell, it’s a valid word, but it doesn’t feel right: spring, sprang, sprung. Something seems off.

Worse yet, I have the feeling that Mrs. Gorney and Mr. Odom, my high school literature and English teachers, would disapprove. Using it recalls Rex in Toy Story saying, “Now I have guilt.”

However, you want to say it, spring has spranged; spring has sprung. The first sign came before the calendar date. I walked out one morning, and my black truck had changed colors overnight.

What do you get when you combine black and yellow? Google says mixing yellow and black paint usually results in shades of dark green, olive green, or brown. I’m not sure what you’d call it, but ugly isn’t a color I would choose. 

 The second sign? I went to the doctor today because of an ear infection. That wasn’t on my to-do list. I didn’t even realize I had a problem, but the audiologist couldn’t perform a scheduled hearing exam because she found fluid in my ears. So, I visited the doctor and left with a prescription for antibiotics and instructions to buy two types of allergy medicine. 

The third clue? My beloved wife is starting plants in small containers, just waiting for the seeds to sprout. Additionally, she is talking a little more than usual about flowers, bushes, and shrubs. What does she want for her 39th (again) birthday? Snowball bushes, and snowball bushes she will get!

The fourth sign? The sound of lawnmowers and the smell of freshly cut weeds. I mentioned weeds because that’s mostly what is growing in my yard.

Winter storm Fern caused significant damage, but God’s good green earth is bouncing back strongly. Spring has sprung.

And as I approach my 64th birthday, I don’t always feel like a spring chicken (see what I did there?). But even today, God is working on a new season of life. Not just for me, but for all of us. It doesn’t matter what stage or age you are, a new season is right around the corner. It may even be something you can envision before you finish reading this column.

The question is whether we are open to seeing and willing to recognize the new spring before us…  “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18- 19 NIV)