Spring is usually my favorite time of the year. I love the tiny yellow-green buds dotting the bare branches of winter and their promise of abundant new life. I took a picture of such a tree on a brief walk the other day. (I practiced social distancing and wore a mask.)
It was a gray and cloudy day, and part of me wondered why I was even bothering to take the picture with the light so dull and flat. But I wanted a reminder of hope, and as I looked through the lens the clouds shifted, and patches of blue appeared in the sky.
Since that day, I have gone back to that picture again and again, and here are a few thoughts that came to mind. One, the patches of blue reminded me that blue skies are always there; it’s just that clouds sometimes obscure the blue. Two, if I wait and look, the blue in the sky will appear even if it wasn’t there just a moment ago. Three, the tiny green buds that promise abundant new life are as plentiful as the promises of new beginnings.
I got curious about just how often that promise of something new shows up in the words I turn to for comfort. It turns out, a lot. I guess it’s a point worth emphasizing. That’s a good thing. I need all the reminders I can get sometimes.
During these dark days, sometimes I wonder how laughter and joy are even possible. Then I remind myself, I don’t have to know how. God is the God of the impossible.
Let’s hold on to hope and faith, and trust that we will be provided for.