Courageously Spring Forward

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring.  In many ways this year has seemed long, and warmer temperatures are a welcome change.  However, Spring is in many ways a time of courage and determination.

Consider the plants that have battened down the hatches for colder temps.  Many animals in the wild have done it, as well.  They were faced with very harsh conditions, and if they were basing their expectation upon what they were seeing, it would be a very bleak outcome.  However, their very being gave them hope.  Seasons change.  Things improve.  Spring is coming.

There have been many season in my life that has felt like it would last forever.  I spent many years of very harsh conditions in my life, and just one example... my romantic aspirations.. had got to the point where it seemed that it would never work out for me.  I was happy for others, but I couldn't see how it would work out for myself.  Then, facing other challenges in my life in health and finances and more made me feel even more doubtful of a happy outcome.  So, I began to lose hope and think that the best that I could hope to do would be to remove the negative and toxic conditions that surrounded me to at the very least have a stabilizing peace and close by family and friend supports.

Then, things began to improve.  In some areas of my life, it wasn't a sudden rise.  It was more like the see saw rise of win win loss, win win loss... that although indirect did gradually improve by my efforts and events.  Romantically, it has been a fairy tale find of the one that is perfect for my heart and my life.  However, it came after many, many years of finding failures of attempts... failures that were necessary to bring me to this point of happiness.

However, NONE of the improvements would have happened without the courage to try.  Just like the seed stalk that pushes its way up through the cold land to find sun, they had to have hope that a good outcome is possible and to keep trying until it does.

So, I don't know what you are facing in your life.  I don't know all the challenges or disappointments that surround you.  I know you might have faced loss and some parts of your life that once had joy are closing or closed.  I know you might have had disappointments that make you not want to take the chance.  However, I would wager that the good you did have were the result of acts of a courageous heart, as well.  The solution isn't to stop trying, when one attempt fails to produce the desired outcome that would remain.  The lesson is... seasons change.  The cycle resets.  New opportunities lie ahead of you for joy and adventure, and all it requires for you to Spring forth into the new season of your life is the courage to believe in a better day and make the attempt.  I am routing for you in that endeavor.