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Women World Leaders' Podcast


Mar 24, 2023

As we wrap up the winter season and enter spring, we are reminded that new life is coming. There’s an anticipation of more sunshine and the promise of warmer weather. It’s also the season many of us decide to do some deep cleaning.

 Join us today as Kelly Williams Hale shares a message from her heart, a story about spring cleaning… with a twist!

 “See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come; the cooing of doves is heard in our land.  The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.  Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” ~ Song of Songs 2:11-13  

 

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Hi there, and welcome to the Women World Leaders Podcast. My name is Kelly Williams Hale and I'm your host today on Celebrating God's Grace. I'm an author, speaker and coach leading women through inner healing and intimacy work.

I help women discover their purpose and create a life they love.

 Today I want to start today’s message with Hosea 6:3

 “Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

 I love this reminder that God is with us in ALL seasons.

 Right now, we’re wrapping up the winter season and entering spring. The season of renewal. Warmer weather and nature waking up. I think Spring is my favorite season. It’s the reminder that new life is coming. I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of the cold weather. Now it’s bearable if I’m dressed appropriately but for the most part, if it’s cold outdoors, I’d rather stay inside and basically wait out the winter seasons under the covers.

 I know there’s a time and a purpose for winter, but I just love when the days start getting longer and I can smell spring in the air.

 There’s a freshness to this time of year. An anticipation of more sunshine and the promise of warmer weather. I live in Florida and when we start seeing the azaleas blooming, we know spring is around the corner. I celebrate God’s grace every day, but it seems like Spring provides a reminder of his mercies after a long cold winter.

 Song of Songs 2:11-13  “See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come; the cooing of doves is heard in our land.  The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.  Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.”

 Spring for me also brings to mind spring cleaning. A time to declutter and clean up.

Well, today I decided to detail my vehicle, my dad’s truck. For context, my dad passed away December 2022 and it wasn’t until last October that my mom gifted me with my dad’s pick up truck.

 It sat in their driveway for almost a year. It was one of those things that was difficult for my mom to let go of - as she went through the grieving process.

 But it was such a blessing to me because I loved my dad’s truck. I knew it was special to him and he took very good care of it. It’s a 2008 Ford F150 – not new, but you wouldn’t know that looking at it. He kept it pristine. Every time I visited my mom and saw my dad’s truck, I would think of him.

 It was such a blessing when she gave it to me. My dad wore a specific cologne – well it was one of those body sprays that the men like – and his truck smelled just like him. I feel like my dad is with me every time I drive it.

 Well, October was six months ago, and I was very careful to keep it clean… until I didn’t. Anybody else have good intentions? Where you’re going to exercise EVERY DAY! Or decide I’m going to leave the house early so I’m not late?! Or like me – you want to keep the car clean… and then let the kids eat the snacks (just this once!) and you tell yourself you’ll bring in all the books and crayons and toys each evening… then a day goes by… then another… and then it’s been two weeks and you’ve got trash and items and clutter that’s accumulated…

Or is it just me?!

Well, today was the day to clean it. It was time! I knew my dad would have a fit if he saw the condition of his “baby” … I pulled out all the supplies, the armor all, the washrag, the vacuum and cleaned his pretty truck. It took me a couple of hours… but it was done.

And in the middle of cleaning, I realized my effort was honoring both of my parents. I was honoring my dad, by taking good care of something he owned and honoring my mom because she trusted me with it.

I have two brothers and out of us three kids, she gave dad’s truck to me.

And so, I was diligent and took great care in cleaning it today. It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining, and it was just a joy, knowing that I was using my physical strength, in terms of my energy… scrubbing, and cleaning and praising God for the ability TO clean.

Colossians 3:17 ESV

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I was also reminded of how God looks at us.

God gave us the gift of this life. Our experience here on earth… or human existence.

 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

New International Version

19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.

How we take care of ourselves, what we fill our mind with and what we put in our body… matters to God. How we take care of and treat ourselves is important.

When we honor our physical self, by taking a hot bath or eating a healthy meal or going on a long walk… we’re taking good care of this body that God gifted us with.

And what we do with that gift is our gift back to him.

How we take care of US, honors him.

So, this revelation came to me as I was cleaning my dad’s truck and was reminded that I need to be intentional with how I live and what I do with the gifts he’s given me.

Our life is God’s gift to us.

What we do with our life… is our gift back to God.

So, as you enter the spring season, my prayer for all of us is that we would intentionally take time to declutter our mind and get into God’s word… and to consider our physical form and make time for exercise or activity… become mindful of the things we eat.

God wants us to enjoy this life he gave us. When we feel our best, we are more likely to walk in the purpose that he gave us, and we can celebrate his grace more freely.