Hope of Spring

“So we do not lose heart……For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Cor 4:18

We are often affected by the circumstances of the moment, aren’t we? We’re a pendulum, up, then down, vacillating like Peter who bravely walked on the water one minute, then sunk in fear and discouragement the next. Have you noticed weather (at least here in the northern hemisphere where winters are long, cold and dark) is one of those circumstances that we allow to rule our mood?

It was spring on Saturday. The sun shone from a clear blue sky and dried a muddy landscape. The geese, having just migrated back to their summer waters, honked and strutted claiming their territory and mates. Birds flitted tree to tree and trilled their springtime calls. As I raked a blanket of leaves from my flower garden I noticed the tips of daffodils peaking through the cold soil stretching from winter’s slumber toward the sun. “Spring is here at last!” I whispered in relieved hope.

It was winter on Sunday. I lamented as I drove to church amidst blustering winds and blasting snow which accumulated quickly and slickened the road. Hours later when the storm had passed on, a white landscape remained. The geese and birds had quieted—no honking, chirping, strutting or flitting. The daffodils were once again sleeping under a fluffy wet blanket. “March will break your heart!” chimed the weatherman.

The unexpected weather threatened to dampen my spirits, so I bought a bouquet of mini roses. They reminded me of the hope and beauty of spring—the season which promises flourishing and offers a glimpse of a future reality; a season of now-but-not-yet, like peaking, stretching daffodils.

As I photographed these rustic roses I admired the delicate ripples of the petals, the intricate details exposed by contrasting light and shadow. Some flowers hung low, others gazed high; both lifted my thoughts heavenward to the designer of such perfect beauty. They were a simple reminder which lightened my spirits, grounded my joy.

Hope. It is a sweet promise of a better reality, but one which is yet to come. Hope is the treasure of the Christian as we dwell in this fallen world filled with unmet expectations and disappointments. One day, dear Christian, hope will be our reality. Today, “..faith, hope and love abide”, but one day, only the greatest of these will remain: love. (1 Cor. 13:13) Till then let us wait patiently and not lose heart.

---

“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:24-25)