A Reminder of Spring

We traveled yesterday, leaving our home where spring has not yet come, where the trees are just beginning to shake off winter, and the forecast still promised a slight chance of flurries.  I wore my sunglasses, not for the blaze of light but for the glare of leaded grey skies.

We drove into the night, at one point, spotting a storm front so thick that it appeared to be a range of mountains on the horizon.  Traffic was scarce.  There was no need to stop but for filling up with gas.  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, packed ahead of time, were a welcome alternative to the fast food at every exit.

It was late when we arrived at our daughter's apartment, pulling our car under the large craggy tree that leans over the parking lot like an arthritic old man.  We took inside just what we needed for the night and dropped like weary travelers into bed.

This morning as we said good-bye, we walked outside, shocked and breathless by the sight of that old tree covered in fresh green against a sky as blue as hope.  It was like we had walked into a different dimension, brimming with life.

This, I thought, is what redemption looks like, that which we cannot imagine.  And that is what Christ can do, loving so deep, He resuscitates my very countenance.

Holy, holy is He.

The heavens are telling the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims His handiwork.

                                    Psalm 19.1