What a beautiful, warm, so-close-to-spring-you-can-almost-touch-it day! Jim took this picture on his way to work this morning, because he knew I wouldn’t want to miss it. The color is beautiful. (Isn’t it sweet that he thinks of me and sends me pictures? #feeling loved after 35 years of marriage)
I am praising God for the beautiful things I found outside today, because we needed to see them. We are sad because we have lost our beautiful maple tree in front of the house. And not only that, every old hardwood tree on our street is being taken down, one by one, for a city project. There are huge wounds in the earth where the limbs have fallen, and bare spots where the heavy equipment has crushed the grass. The view is a lot different.
I know it will soon look better, because in the same way our bodies tend toward health, our divinely-designed world tends toward life. Everything we humans make is eventually covered by ivy or moss and returns to the lush state it was in when God designed it. Life will always triumph, so I shouldn’t mourn for the trees too long.
So today, I decided to look for whatever signs of new life I could, and guess what I found? Lots of buds, and even some flowers!
(It’s so warm, though, they might become snowdrips.)
These were a gift from our good friend, Gwen.
Sadness is a part of life, and so we should each expect sad things to come our way. Many are suffering terrible grief, such as the loss of a loved one, a way of life, or some kind of personal, irrevocable change. The work of grief may go on for a long time, but it is essential to take breaks.
Find some way to laugh. Cuddle a kitten. (We have plenty, if you want one.) Watch a funny movie. Eat a meal with someone you love. And remember that every “no” in life is also a “yes” to something else. Look for the “yes.” Because there is always something!
You are loved more than you know! Tomorrow is Spring. It is just a breath away. Celebrate with us! New life is all around us, though you may not notice it right now. It’s coming. It’s right around the corner. Be encouraged, dear ones!
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
Isaiah 43:19
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
The Fullers Four 