Spring Came Early

Last year, it took a while for spring to arrive. Cool temperatures and weeks of rain lingered well into May. I would stare at the clouds and think, “It’s spring now. What’s with the depressing weather?” Spring arrived suddenly one day. The clouds and rain moved away, and they were replaced by clear skies and temperatures in the eighties.

This year, Spring has come very early. I caught the first whiff of Spring in early to mid-February when I heard a bird singing one morning. I expected his anticipation to fade as it usually does and reemerge in March, but unlike last year, it did not. Frequent days that reached the lower and upper seventies followed. And when February concluded with a day in the upper seventies, and March began with a day in the mid-eighties, it became clear from the permanently-cheerful birds in my neighborhood and the flowers on the trees that spring would stay.

Spring’s early arrival makes me wonder if the Lord is telling us something. Perhaps he is saying, figuratively, “It’s been a long season, and you’ve had enough winter. Enough clouds and cool temperatures. You’ve had far too many lonely days, trudging through blizzards, and hiking up treacherous, snowy mountains. It’s time for a break from all of that. It’s time for a new day, a fresh season. It’s time to enjoy life again. To be happy, to be at peace, and to experience adventure.”

Perhaps winter ended early because He could not wait any longer for us to experience the grand surprises that lie ahead, just like a father who excitedly awaits the moment we encounter the good things he has saved for us.