The Wonders of Spring

 We've finally made it here in Western Pennsylvania; spring has arrived! As I left work the last couple of days, the warm air hit me in the face, and it was just so refreshing. Then, sitting on my back porch and enjoying the sunshine, I closed my eyes and just listened to the birds chirping, then I watched a rabbit hop through my yard. I've seen squirrels and chipmunks all over my neighborhood scurrying around in the new, fresh weather. 

Last evening, I went to enjoy my favorite part of spring. There is a wonderful rails-to-trails near my house that I love to walk and bike, and this time of year, there is a spot on that trail that my daughter and I have lovingly named "Peeper Swamp". It is a wetland that houses all kinds of little critters, but at the beginning of spring, the chorus frogs come out and sing their song. Locally, we call these frogs "spring peepers". Every year when I hear that song, I just stand amazed at the beauty of spring and how God makes all things new. If you want a small taste of what I heard, check out the video I posted on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ouremmausjourney/videos/525195002284692.

While I am not a fan of winter, I am thankful to live in an area that experiences changing seasons. After a long, cold winter with snow and ice and short daylight hours, spring is always a reminder to me that God is at work. All of the newness of spring brings forth an understanding that God doesn't leave us in the cold and dark. That season is necessary for our overall health, but God will bring about a new fresh season. For the temperate climate in which I live, winter serves a purpose. The snow that melts in the spring helps to refresh the groundwater. Because it melts slowly, it is able to soak into the ground much better than a downpour of rain. Many perennial plants need the dormant stage of winter in order to grow healthy during the next spring and summer.

So it is with us. In our seasons of difficulties, in our winters, we have a chance to be covered with the Word of God, just as the ground gets covered with snow. And as the Lord melts that difficulty away bit by bit, that Word can soak into our very soul and bring us the newness of our next season. Like those perennial plants, our roots can be refreshed so that we can grow healthy and strong when that new season comes.

I know sometimes it feels like the winter will never end. But remember, God makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). In your times of darkness and cold, remember that warm spring always follows winter. God will not leave you in your place of struggle and difficulty. But that season is necessary in order for you to be healthy and close to Him in the next season. This winter has a purpose, and God's purposes are always good.