Two more days until spring! Well, according to my calendar, that is. The weather most likely won’t pay attention. The days are getting longer and birdsong greets me earlier each morning, a sure sign that spring is on its way. Today, the sun is shining bright and beautiful, glistening on the piles of snow in the yard (Mountains of snow, would be more accurate!). Tulips and daffodils won’t be pushing through the dirt anytime soon, though, those heaps of snow blocking their path and keeping the ground in frozen slumber for a few weeks longer.
Spring doesn’t typically show itself until early May in my neighborhood. When it does finally arrive, the nights will still be frosty until early June. We’ll be teased with a day or two of spring-like 50 degree temperatures. Windows will be opened to let in the fresh air. I’ll put on a sweater and enjoy my afternoon coffee on the porch swing, listening to the birds and breathing the sweet smells of the outdoors. Then, overnight, winter will rage through and cover the earth with another arctic blast of frozen air and major snow fall. I’ll wake to another day of gray skies, blowing snow and bitter cold. The winter doesn’t like to let go. I try to enjoy the days of sunshine and warmth while I wait for spring to win the battle and push the winter out. Some days it seems the winter will last forever, I feel like spring will never come.
“It was You who set all the boundaries of the earth; You made both summer and winter.”
Psalm 74:17
“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.” Song of Solomon 2:11-12
Each season has its place – seasons of the calendar as well as seasons of life. The winters of life can feel as long and cold as the calendar winters. The wind blows and the snow falls, the grass and flowers are buried, the bird song ceases, the dark, dreary days seem to stretch on forever. The sun abandons us, the days are short and the nights are long. We feel like it will never end.
Eventually, it does. Gradually, the days grow longer and the nights shorter. A warm breeze blows through, and the sun will shine. Another storm may pass, bringing another dark, snowy, cold day, but in time, spring wins. The flowers will push through the earth and blossom with radiant color. The sun will shine warm and bright, the birds will sing their songs, and the soft, green grass will blanket the earth.
God has set the boundaries of the earth. He has also set the boundaries in our life. For those who follow Him, He promises to bring us through whatever storms we face. The winter will pass and spring will come. While we wait, however, for the cold season to pass, watch for the rays of sun. They are God’s reminder that He is near and that winter won’t last forever.
