Always Winter… Never Spring... But...

By Nina Benson

Truly, this is what people will say of winter 2013-14 – winter seemed to be never ending, with it’s howling winds, bone chilling gusts of snow and ice that pelted exposed faces and hands. No amount of moisturizer could protect these areas from dryness and cracking. The most conscientious fashionista gave up and looked like the rest us – like sta-puff marshmallow people braving the elements. We had snow days and blizzard days, and sub-zero days… Is it ever going to end?

Then last week, well into April, there were the sounds of spring. Funny we have to go with “sounds” of spring first. It’s like we have to accept that spring is coming by faith, because it didn’t ever feel like it and we certainly couldn’t see it. We just had the sound of birds chirping – something that we thought we heard, but surely no bird in their right mind would be up north, yet… But there it is again that sound. I couldn’t see them – early in the morning; when it was yet dark, and cold with wind still blowing, but I did hear them. Then I began to see them pecking at the hard ground – there’s no food there my fine feathered friends. The worms are buried many feet underground, but here have some bread.

Then as if to defy the beast of winter itself a shoot of green popped through the hard, dry earth and shouted, like Dr. Suess’ Whos from Whoville “We are here, we are here!” – “ Spring is here!”

This long awaited spring reminds me so much of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, where Mr. Tumnus exclaimed to Lucy, “The White Witch has made it always winter and never spring”. Such has been our wait for some change in the weather…Surely, some break would happen. The calendars claimed that it’s “spring”. The store have changed their mannequins to spring and summer wear – but who wants to buy summer clothes, when all I need now is another pair of mittens…

So we wait. What else can you do? (Actually, there is much to do)...

But we wait also for something else… Jesus return!

As we anticipate the coming spring – whenever it comes and settles in for a while; we also anticipate the return of Christ – especially with this season of lent.

With all the “birthing pains” of this life; Christians are saying more and more, surely "Jesus’ return is imminent…", “How much worse can it get?”, “Look at the weather!”, “Look at the wars!”, “Look at the persecution!”, "Look at to the heavens.",  “People have no regard for each other, let alone, God…”

But just like the coming of spring – Jesus’ return is anticipated by faith. NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY OR TIME – but He is coming.

He is risen! Hallelujah! He is risen indeed!

Spring "shoots" in our yard. Photo taken by Stephen, my husband