Welcome....Spring!

I have always loved spring. It is a new beginning for me. I love the smell of fresh cut green grass, full bouquets of fresh flowers and the early morning sunshine streaming through my windows. I feel like a person who has awakened from a long sleep.

That is what winter is to me - a long sleep. I don't enjoy winter. The only thing I find enjoyable about winter is the holidays. If it weren't for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve I would probably not leave my house from November to April. I want to like winter; I really do. I desperately want to joyfully run in the snow and be that graceful creature who ice skates in Central Park but alas I can't ice skate, am not graceful and snow requires far too many layers of clothing for me to joyfully run anywhere.

Spring is a completely different story. No matter what is going on in life I can always find joy in knowing that everything is fresh and clean and just waiting for me to embrace it. The simple things like bright yellow lemons in a fruit bowl or tender tulips in the garden bring a moment of peace to my day. It is these small things that remind me of God's grace and provision. It is he who designed the seasons. He orchestrated how each plant, animal, human and every unique detail would interact with his creation. The picture of the earth coming alive after a long cold winter is a reminder of God's care for every detail of our world down to when the trees will blossom and where the birds should make their nests. If he can see and know every detail in nature who am I to question his care and attention to the details of my life? He knows my every need before I can even express it, he knows my frustrations and my heartaches and more than anything he knows what tomorrow holds.  He knows I need spring and has given me the most beautiful days to enjoy and remember his provision.