I watched them grow and flourish
Rising sun kissed them with warmth
That made them bloom to fruitfulness
They spread the beauty of colors
They spread the fragrance of delight
But with setting sun, they bowed
Their beautiful heads, they flailed
Winter descended and they failed
Chilled to the heart, they died, buried
In full view until Spring returned
Where they were buried, they arose
New life; a leaf here, another there
One after the other, they arose
Turned brown field to garden of colors
A forest of thriving greens.

Much as I love the warmth and wildness of summer, the transforming colors of fall, and merry snowy winter, spring beats them all for me. Maybe it’s the drowsy truth that winter is finally over and it’s time to shed the layers and step out. Maybe it’s the zest it gives to the hope of summer around the corner. Maybe knowing fall is still some ways and winter a longer way from here and now. Maybe it’s a lot of things that summer and fall and winter are not that spring awakens. Whatever it is, spring works magic in my heart!

Personally, spring awakes something cheery and peppy within and puts a spring in my step. The signs of new life springing out of the deadness they all left behind speaks beyond the environmental conditions to my heart-conditioning. Like the sure promises of God, we all know that no matter how long winter stretches, spring is sure to come. Sometimes, that hope is drowned in the covers and layers with which we battle the chills that tend to freeze our faith. But that day comes as always when we look outside and the white that covers our lawn is thawing, turning to water that feeds the deadness hidden beneath, transforming all that brown confirmation of death to living green.

It doesn’t take any effort on our part. We just wake up one morning and the dead lawn is awakening, deserted birds are returning, warmth is replacing chill, beckoning every living to step out to a new beginning. And indeed, it is a new beginning. All that was weak and old died with winter. Every former thing passed away with winter and all things new come with spring.

Spring is new life awakening. Spring is a new beginning confirming that hope deferred is not denied, that there is life after death, that no matter how long we’ve lived and aged, no matter how much we’ve tried and failed, new opportunities are knocking at our doors, beckoning on us to shed the old skins of unbelief, the burdensome layer of self-preservation, and step out again, to believe afresh, that all things are possible to those who believe. Spring is the time of my life, how about you?

Glory!