I love spring. Not just because I live in Vermont where winter feels like it lasts 10 years, but I love the hope it brings. I love spring because winter is hard for me. My youngest was born very unexpectedly at the end of January, 5 weeks early and in critical condition. The next weeks were a whirlwind of so many scary things. I love spring because it is the other side of all that terrible.
Living in the northeast, I get the joy of seeing all four seasons (and maybe even like six seasons if we add in mud season and fake spring). The seasons so clearly remind me of God’s hand in our world. In summer everything is green and lush and vibrant. During autumn we see the trees lose their leaves and the earth prepares to rest. In winter we see the trees bare, cold creeps in and snow covers everything. But in spring we see the hope of new things. We see buds on the trees, flowers starting to bloom and the grass turning green.
In the winter months, many of my demons come to a head. I am always surprised at how much power they seem to still have over my thoughts. I relive those scary days of replaying every moment of my pregnancy, wondering what I had done to cause the issues my baby faced. This in turn would bring days of doubt and guilt. Satan would take over my thoughts and paralyze me to the truth that I knew deep down in my heart.
Spring reminds me that things won’t stay dark and cold forever. Spring reminds me that:
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:22-23, NLT
God never fails us. On the days when I feel like it is all too much, the days where everything is just too overwhelming, God reminds me that he is there. On the days when false truths and guilt try to take over my thoughts, God is there. He breaks through the dark. It may be in a song, a verse, a word from one of my girls, or a text from a friend. God continues to bring his love and mercy to me. The same God who puts the earth to rest in winter, to restore it in spring, is the same God who restores my soul.
Sunshine on my face restores my soul.
A warm breeze restores my soul.
God’s never-ending love restores my soul.
Reminders of God’s faithfulness restore my soul.
Looking at that amazing little girl who came out of her cocoon a beautiful butterfly restores my soul.
When things feel too much; when the situation feels too impossible, remember what God has done. Remember that his faithfulness is great, and his mercies never cease. Look back and see the things God has done in the past and know it won’t stay like this forever.
