Image by john faherty photography via Flickr
Looking into the gray sky and out into my yard, I see barren trees and snow still covering the majority of the lawn’s dormant grass. I see a depletion of life. I see emptiness.
What I can’t see is the force of nature, the pure power of something divine at work, the behind the scenes goings on of the part of the world that man does not control. I can’t see that life is waiting for the right time to burst forth from the ground, from the twigs and vines that currently appear all but dead. I can’t see the colors of the foliage, the flowers and the grasses that will in a matter of weeks paint our days in the Midwest.
I wonder if what we cannot see in nature during this season is comparable to what I cannot see within myself right now.
What lies dormant within me as I work to get through this very stressful season of life? What is quietly waiting for just the right moment to burst forth? While my body and mind are covered by the cold of Winter, what might be in store when the warmth comes? What will thaw and be released as a result?
People often cover their hearts in a protective, icy shield as a result of hurt or pain. Perhaps there is a way to thaw that shield and release some of the beauty underneath? My mom reminded me of a quote she heard on Oprah yesterday, “Hurt people, hurt people.” That reminds me of how very much we all need each other’s warmth and tenderness. In an effort to help thaw any iciness that may have developed or to help keep the cold away.
I know that underneath the surface of my being there are beautiful things brewing, waiting to spring forth. I believe I was created to come into a new season of living, to experience and demonstrate a beautiful life. Not just on occasion, but all of the time.
I wonder what colors I will see as I bloom? What new patterns of living will burst through the soil of my pain? Can you imagine your life as a Spring garden? What stage or state is it in? Does it needing tending, does the soil need to be prepared? Is the earth hard from a very cold season?
As we deal with physical and/or emotional pain I wonder if we can look at that as a time of mending our soil? The pain is often overwhelming, but when we see the hope of a Spring to come it can become more bearable.
