“I Miss Spring.”

Once a week, I walk my 5 year old granddaughter to her school. This morning, as we made our way to her kindergarten class, we talked a bit about the weather, how it is still a bit cold in the morning, but that warmer weather is coming. She reflectively remarked, “I miss spring.”

As I continued to think about what she said, It struck me how we were both longing for the next season to get here, having had enough of winter! And while I feel this way every year, at about this time, the idea of “missing spring” has kept me pondering that idea. She clarified that, for her, it was the warm weather that she was missing, when she would no longer have to wear a warm hat and gloves, as well as boots.

Spring is my favorite season of the year. I realize that it is not only for the warmth that it brings, but also for the sense of new life and renewal, as the trees bud once more and flowers begin to poke their heads up through the dirt, where they have lain dormant for months. I take great joy in noticing new signs of life all around me.

Physically, I also want to shake off the cold and flu symptoms that have plagued me all winter! Sickness has run through our family since the fall weather started, and I still have the remnants of a dry cough from December. I have a renewed commitment to make healthy choices, going forward, because I hate being sick!

Digging deeper into why I might be “missing spring”, I have to confess that I am actually longing for a spiritual spring! Since September, it seems like I have been living in a progressively more wintry season, partly because I have put a lot of time and energy into ministry, which I love, but also because I have not looked after myself spiritually the way that I should. As I prepare to do a workshop on Spiritual Pathways (Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul’s Path to God by Gary Thomas) later this week, I have been considering my own spiritual health. I know that a renewed commitment to worship and time alone with God, which are my spiritual pathways to closeness with God, will help to warm up the spiritual winter and banish any leftover spiritual blues for me.

I am ready to transition into a spiritual renewal that will lead me into Easter! Here’s to “missing spring” and doing something about it, in the meantime.

Father God, thank you for the winter seasons in life, if only because they remind us of how much we miss the springtime, when our souls can be warmed anew by your love and care for us. Bring me renewed joy, as I return to a closer walk with you and experience the freshness and beauty of spring. Amen.

Throughout This Day: Has your devotional time with God hit a snag? If you need to warm up after a spiritually cold winter, perhaps you should explore ways to grow closer to God. Here is an online link to the inventory for Sacred Pathways: https://www.soulshepherding.org/sacred-pathways-survey/