The tiniest blades of green pushing through winterized soil, what a beautiful thing. Soil so hard and worn from winter’s wind beating down upon it, is now the soil from which the new begins to grow. Every time I walk outside and see the specks of green, I am reminded of the hope of spring. It is coming.

“Spring drew on…and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that Hope traversed them at night, and left each morning brighter traces of her steps.” ― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

The hope of spring is fully appreciated by one who has experienced the effects of winter. It is in the understanding that winter has its rightful place, a season to be still; Winter is a season to rest in while knowing there will be a coming spring. So, in appreciation for experiencing the still and sometimes difficulty season of winter, one can also revel in the glorious new that points to spring’s arrival.

While winter has been more kind than usual to us this year, we are still aching for the fullness of spring. We are ready for the splashes of color, we are ready for digging hands in warm and soft soil, we are ready for the arrival of chirping little chicks, we are ready for breathing in the inexplicable aroma that is the sweetness of spring. The winds of change are beginning their shift, spring is coming.

We have, excitedly, begun to prepare for the new season.
   

A week later….

While we are beginning our preparations for the new season, I am reminded of my Living Hope. As I watch whatever may have seemed dead in the winter, now begin to take life in the spring – I am reminded of the One who death has no hold on. With every new blade of green, I am reminded of He who makes all things new. In the onset of this changing of seasons, I am reminded of the One who takes what was once dead and into it breathes life eternal. He is the spring for the winter seasons of our lives and we can hold fast to the hope of who He is.