I can’t help singing at the top of my lungs this morning. It seems to me that Spring has arrived almost overnight. Last week the Houston Rodeo trail riders came into town through the cold wet rain and everything looked gloomy. This week the grass is growing, the trees are budding, and the azaleas are blooming. I looked at the azaleas on Monday and saw nothing to lead me to believe there would be blooms by the end of the week, but yesterday afternoon we returned from school/work and spied two blooms, with dozens more loosely wrapped just waiting for today.

The birds have returned; I awoke this morning to the brilliant composition of a multitude of songbirds in the backyard. Even my husband, laying beside me, commented that we were being sung awake. Our backyard feeder attracts cardinals, house finches, chickadees, blue jays, and while we’ve seen these for a few weeks, we now have our first robin perched on the edge of the birdbath.

The sky is deep blue with a radiant sun, pleasant breeze, and temperatures expected to reach the high 60s. As I breathe in the fresh air and feel the warm sun on my face, I marvel at the overnight changes. Is it any wonder that we use the rebirth of springtime to celebrate Jesus’ rising from the dead? This beautiful weather is just a small physical experience compared with the wonder and glory of Christ’s Resurrection and Rebirth.

As we continue on our Lenten journey toward Easter, let us not be discouraged by the sin and darkness that want to overwhelm us. Let us turn our faces and our hearts to the rising sun and know that this rebirth of Spring is only a mere symbol of the beautiful morning promised to us in Easter.