Postlude to the Long Winter

Growing up in Minnesota, you'd be hard pressed to find a young girl who hasn't read the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I know I have read them consecutively at least 15 times, and one summer I read through them all 5 times in a row all while I was spending a few weeks at grandma's house. But those were the days in the 90's when social media wasn't even heard of yet. If you would've asked me what social media was, I would've picked up the Around the Town section of the local newspaper. Reading wasn't the only thing to do before Facebook was created - I learned a lot visiting grandma during the summer. I really felt like a pioneer girl learning how to cook, gardening, and living in the woods just like Laura Ingalls. One summer we had a brown bear in the yard. It attacked a bird feeder in the middle of the night, and from a distance it looked to be well over 6 feet tall, from what I was told. My brothers and I took it upon ourselves to track the bear the next day with just our really big sticks to protect us. Not the best idea in hindsight, but thankfully the closest we got to seeing the bear were some tracks near some raspberry bushes.

This winter has been one of the longest and hardest I've known in my lifetime. We've had some record breaking snow accumulations, and it seems that once one storm was over, another even worse one was on the way. It reminds me of Laura Ingalls Wilder's book The Long Winter. After long weeks and months of blizzards, finally something exciting happens. The Chinook started to blow. Chinook wind is a wind that welcomes the start of spring. It is a warm wind that is known to melt snow FAST.

So after much anticipation for spring, we are finally starting to see the glorious sun and warmer temperatures to start melting all of this snow. It's fun to drive through puddles of water and make big waves. Crews are out unplugging all of the storm drains to make sure this water has somewhere to go. And mostly, we're praying that with this fast melting snow that the flood waters don't rise. But nonetheless, we're grateful that winter is ending - if not now, then very soon. 

Positivity for the Day

With the changing of the seasons from winter to spring comes a new excitement. It's easy to be optimistic to see the world starting to come alive again. I was even able to go outside without a jacket today comfortably for the first time this year. Now is a great time to take a look at those new year's resolutions and give them a wake up. With growing energy and excitement, what more would you like to accomplish? What goals have you been letting slide that are easier by going outside?

Let's get ready for spring with a renewed sense of commitment to our goals. Change is coming, and by being flexible we can be more adaptive to change, and more willing to form it rather than be formed by it.

God who rules the land, sea and skies, we are thankful for the winds of change. We welcome a new season and an opportunity for new beginnings. Help us to remember that every day is an opportunity for something new. Let us live in the present and look forward to the future with anticipation. Bring our environment back to life, and help us to grow along with your creation. Keep us safe from the rising tide of adversity. Amen.