It’s Just Pollen…Or Is It?

Spring is supposed to feel like life.

Fresh air. Sunshine. A gentle breeze brushing against your skin like a reminder that God is still renewing the earth.

But lately?

Spring has been fighting me. 🤧

The moment I step outside, my eyes start itching, my nose starts running, and my body reacts like I’ve just walked into danger instead of fresh air.

And if I’m being honest…

I’ve become afraid of a one-minute walk outside.

A whole one minute.

Imagine that—afraid of something that was meant to refresh me.

And it made me pause and ask myself:

How many of us are living like this… spiritually?

Because sometimes, what was meant to refresh us…starts to overwhelm us.

What once felt like fresh air starts to feel like too much to breathe in.

Social media, for example, was meant to connect us. A place to share, laugh, and stay in touch.

But somehow… it quietly shifted.

Now you scroll—and instead of feeling inspired, you feel behind.

Instead of feeling connected, you feel like you’re not enough.

What was meant to refresh you…now leaves you comparing.

Relationships were meant to be safe spaces.

Places where you could rest, be seen, be poured into.

But sometimes, those same relationships become draining.

You leave conversations feeling heavier than when you came.

You give, and give, and give… and still feel empty.

What was meant to refresh you…now leaves you emotionally exhausted.

Work? Work was meant to provide purpose.

A way to use your gifts, make an impact, and be productive.

But somewhere along the way, the pressure crept in.

Deadlines. Expectations. Co-workers became toxic. The constant need to perform.

Now instead of fulfillment, you feel fatigue.

Instead of purpose, you feel burnout.

What was meant to refresh you…now leaves you depleted.

Even ministry—church ministry- yep- the very thing meant to draw you closer to God—can become overwhelming.

Serving. Showing up. Pouring out.

But if you’re not careful, you can be so busy doing for God that you forget to just be with Him.

And suddenly, what once filled your spirit starts to wear you out.

What was once life-giving starts triggering something unhealthy inside of us.

Just like pollen.

You didn’t create it.

You didn’t invite it.

But now… it’s affecting you.

And if you’re not careful, you’ll start doing what I almost did—

• Avoid it altogether.
• Pull back.
• Shut down.
• Stay inside emotionally.

Not because life isn’t still good…

but because you’re afraid of how it might affect you.

But here’s the question that challenged me:

What do you do when what’s outside of you starts controlling how you live inside?

👀

Because the truth is…

I don’t actually have a problem with fresh air.

I have a problem with how I’m reacting to what’s in the air.

And spiritually, it’s the same.

You may not be able to control everything around you…

But with God’s help, you can guard what gets within you.

The Bible says:

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” — Proverbs 4:23

Not everything that surrounds you should settle in you.

Here’s what I’m learning in this sneezing season:

The answer isn’t to stop going outside.

It’s to go outside covered.

With allergies, you adjust.

You prepare.

You protect yourself so you can still live.

And spiritually?

We need to do the same.

Cover your mind in prayer.

Filter what you allow into your heart.

Ask God for discernment in every space you walk into.

Because isolation isn’t the answer—protection is.

So no, I’m not giving up fresh air.

And you shouldn’t give up on life either.

Just don’t let what’s happening around you take over what’s happening within you.

Maybe this season isn’t about avoiding everything that irritates you…

Maybe it’s about learning how to walk through it with God covering you.

Because spring didn’t just bring pollen…

It brought grace to help you breathe again.

I can almost hear Jimmy Cliff singing in the background…

“I can see clearly now, the rain is gone…”

And maybe that’s the point.

Not that the pollen disappears…

Not that life suddenly stops irritating you…

But that with God covering you—you can breathe again.

🎼🎵

“It’s gonna be a bright, bright, bright- shinny day” 🎶