Living Like It's Spring

It’s March! Flipping over the calendar to this month feels like a milestone. We’ve made it through the bulk of winter, and signs of spring will (hopefully) be showing soon. But, even as I flipped over my calendar to the new month, I felt twinge of sadness looking outside at the snow-covered trees and snow-lined streets. Spring still feels very far away. In fact, looking at the conditions outside, spring almost feels impossible.

I decided that even though it’s still winter outside, in my climate-controlled house, I’m going to start living like it’s spring (we won’t be running around outside without jackets anytime soon!).  That means, I’ve banished all snowman and snow-themed decorations until next year; I put my flower sheets on the bed (sorry, husband); and I’m warming “bright” floral, coconut and sugary scents in my Scentsy warmer.

As I was going about it, I started pondering about the idea of “even though it’s still winter, I’m going to live like it’s spring.” I felt God tap me on the shoulder and “a-hem” me. *Light bulb going off moment* There is a bigger application here than just switching my home décor!

Certainly, there are different seasons of life, but how many times have I sat sulking in my winter season when I could have started living like it was spring? The quick answer is, more times than I care to think about. In challenging life situations; in difficult relationships; during health issues; through deployments; any time things have gotten dark and gloomy; I’ve willingly stayed in my winter mindset when I could have chosen to live like it was spring. The times when I could have been quicker to forgive, or been more thankful, to bring warmth to my coldness.

Then, I thought about the people I know who are going through their own winter season, of cold hearts and bleak attitudes, in their marriage or with family members. How can we live like it’s spring in a wintery relationship?  I immediately thought of a quote from C.S. Lewis, “ Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbour; act as if you did. As soon as you do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.” Maybe that means a long overdue phone call, a kind note, or an overall attitude adjustment toward that person?

Or there might not be strained relationship, but another full basket of laundry and a sink of dirty dishes is enough to bring on blizzard-like conditions to our spirits.  I know some days I feel like life is one big snowball, and I’m at the bottom of the hill it’s rolling down. How can we push through to find spring? I think it comes down to thankfulness. Trying to find a way to be thankful. A sink-load of dishes reminds me that we have food to eat, and a full laundry basket reminds me we have clothes to keep us warm. I’m also reminded that this particular season of life will pass, as all seasons do, and at some point there won’t be as many dishes or clothes to wash.

As I write this, we’re expecting another several inches of snow within the next 24-hours. It might be snowing now, but I know soon enough that I will see the buds of spring blooming. I know that without question, and knowing it gives me the strength to face one more (hopefully!) snowfall. In the same way, I know without question, God will also bring me through all of life’s wintery situations to a flourishing springtime. How I choose to look at the snow today depends on my faith, hope and confidence.