A few weeks ago I headed south for the day. I’d checked the forecast before packing – it called for a decent mid-50’s. I arrived late at night and headed straight to bed. In the morning, I woke up to spring. Admittedly it was very early spring, but the daffodils had sent up their shoots and the branches of the redbud trees were purple. The sun shone and the sky was blue, and even with a cool wind blowing, I took off my winter coat and let the warmth wash over me.
When you’re deep in the middle of winter, it seems like it’s never going to be over. Like it will be slush and dead grass and barren trees and a cement gray sky forever. Don’t get me wrong, winter has its own beauty and joy, but if you stay too long, it’s a barren place.
Maybe you’re stuck in the middle of winter and starting to wonder if it will ever be over. It might be literal winter, or an emotional or spiritual winter, but it feels like it’s all going to be cold drudgery from here on out. Can I just tell you right now that spring is coming? Somewhere else, for someone else, it’s already made its appearance. And one day soon it’s coming for you, too.
My beloved speaks and says to me, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come.” Song 2:10-12 AMP