Snow on the 2nd day of Spring
My daughter was confused this morning when we woke up to snow… And who can blame her? Yesterday was the first day of spring. I stood outside in my t-shirt (and pants, for those of you wondering) and grilled chicken on our deck. It was wonderful. We kicked the soccer ball around our yard. Bright spring flowers were pushing up through the faded bark mulch.
And today… Snow.
When things seem to be trending in a certain direction and then something completely contrary happens… It’s confusing. To our heads, hearts and souls.
Sometimes we’re expecting to get a raise at work but at our year-end review someone hands us a severance package.
Sometimes we’re painting the nursery and we have an unsettling ultrasound that sows a thousand little seeds of fear.
Sometimes on a Thursday we’re picking up our smiling teen from school and on Friday we’re picking them up from a party drunk.
When things are looking good… “Up and to the right!” as Mr. Good ol’ Boy would phrase it in a board meeting… And then, all of a sudden, change.
And we begin to wonder, “Is it a permanent change? Is this the start of the new trend? Will there be more days like this? Or this is an anomaly? Are we still on-course and is this just a blip on the radar?"
It brings to mind a verse from Hebrews, that many of us might know (even without knowing that we know it).
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” - Hebrews 13:8
And earlier in Hebrews 6, the author writes, “We have [God’s unchanging nature] as an anchor for the soul.”
Elyse and I have experienced a lot of transition in the past 6 months. Our lead pastor of 10 years left, both of my remaining grandparents died, we moved from Lowell (city) to Westford (suburbs), and dozens, if not hundreds, of other changes going on in close-friend’s lives… All of it adds up.
And for every change, there’s sufficient opportunity for panic, anxiety, worry, anger, fear and temptation to flee. To abandon the path we’ve been walking on and find a new one.
Fear is easy.
Fleeing is easy.
Worry is easy.
Anger is easy.
Peace is hard.
Unity is hard.
Staying is hard.
Joy is hard.
But which path would you rather? If you had a choice… Which path would you choose? (HINT: The path you take is your choice and your choice entirely.)
A significant part of Elyse and I buying a home in Westford was us putting our foot down. There were (and will likely always be) opportunities to move. People calling us north, west, and south. And it’s likely that you have the same thoughts running through your head… Somewhere where the grass is greener, or the people are nicer, or the homes are cheaper.
But we’re here. And we’re here to stay. Because sometimes it’s nice to wake up to snow on the second day of spring.