I never thought I would
say this... but the other night, I started to miss winter.
Well, sort of. Let me
back up.
Tuesday night, Brett and
I were able to have a “Date Night In” and enjoy a live performance by one of
our favorite musicians. I know that sounds like Andrew Peterson performed a
private house show for us, and as cool as that would be, that’s not what
happened. Instead, AP live-streamed a performance. So, thanks to technology, we
were able to watch from our living room as AP and his family performed in their
living room. So cool.
It was an especially
moving performance as it was an Easter show and many of the songs had themes of
resurrection… and it got me thinking about spring. (To be more specific, the
last line of "Invisible God" was the catalyst, for the other AP fans out there). I started thinking about how
spring is kind of an annual reminder of God’s power over death.
I think winter is pretty
awful. Sure, there are some nice parts (I do enjoy looking at snow from the
inside of a warm house, preferably next to a fireplace and holding a mug of hot
chocolate), but mostly I think it’s awful. Things start to die – grass,
flowers, insects. It’s cold – so cold that you hardly want to leave your house.
And it’s dark all the time; it’s easy to forget what the sun even looks like.
And that lack of sunshine (i.e. lack of Vitamin D), can mess with your
emotions. It can make you lose hope that you will ever again see the sun. That
winter will never end. Maybe it’s all just hopeless.
And then.
The snow begins to melt.
You see a small patch of grass begin to peak through. Sure, the grass is dead
but you remember that it’s there! You remember that it can grow. And then it does! Maybe you see a flower bud on a tree.
And you hear some birds singing. Spring. The sun returns, even just for a short
time during the day. But it’s welcome. It’s bright. It starts to warm up. You
spend time outside and the fresh air reminds you that you’re alive. That things
are alive again.
It’s a beautiful picture
of the resurrection. A reminder that Jesus was once dead and now is alive. A
reminder that Christians will die, but will come alive again. A reminder that
God has conquered death. How sweet that we get to celebrate Easter as life is springing up all around us!
Every year, without
fail, even years with particularly long winters… spring returns. Every year,
without fail, God reminds us that He is powerful. He is in control. And He can
resurrect us, if we choose Him.
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. -Romans 8:10-11
This makes me miss
winter. Not because I think winter is awesome, but because winter makes spring
that much more magical.
Our Lord has written the
promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf of springtime. -Martin Luther
