The weather in this part of Ohio has been unusually warm for this time of year.  Normally we experience temperatures in the 20’s and 30’s with various amounts of snow and wind.  But this week brought open windows and fresh air, culminating with a day of sunshine and 70 degrees.  People couldn’t help slipping into t-shirts and heading outside.  Spirits lifted as the gray days of winter seemed to fade away.  Unfortunately, the temperatures dropped and the winds picked up overnight, and flying by my window right now I see snow.  It can be a little discouraging to feel spring so close only to have it snatched right back.  But guess what?  As the wind sways the trees and snow sprinkles my landscaping, peeking out of the soil is a spring flower.  Do you know it’s name?  It’s called hope.

Our lives can tell a similar tale.  Sometimes all we see around us is the wind and the cold, but trust this, hope is nearby.  “And you will have confidence, because there is hope; you will be protected and take your rest in safety.  You will lie down, and no one will make you afraid; many will entreat your favor.”  (Job 11:18-19)  We don’t have to fret and pace when things around us look bad.  Instead, we can trust God is planning to come and help.  Psalm 62:5, “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him.”  Be brave and hold fast, because this season is going to end.  “I believe that I shall look upon the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”  (Psalm 27: 13-14) Despite what it’s front of you, stand strong.   And regardless of the lingering days of winter, keep hoping, because spring is sneaking up everywhere.