Spring reminds me of a time of miracles. They are subtle miracles we may not even notice. They happen without any interaction from us. There is no requirement we pay attention. It just happens and if we choose to tune in, we can be completely amazed. Most of us simply move on. But for those of us who are grieving, these undetected miracles are actually signs of great hope.
I am sure most of us have said how odd this year already has become. Things were already out of sorts and it feels like they are coming back together very differently than we expected. I can even sense it in my own home. My Christmas cactus is currently blooming. Yes, it is March and this is the first time it has bloomed twice in 4 months. It is absolutely beautiful, but really quite odd at the same time. I’ve just decided to appreciate what is before me and move forward. No need to question it, just enjoy it.
It does remind me we will be seeing new life spring up all around us very soon. There will be small buds beginning to appear on plants and trees which seemed to have no life. What we did not see was the process happening in the roots, all beneath the surface. Plants and trees were preparing to bloom once more. They had promise and hope waiting to burst open at just the right time. If they opened too soon, the frost would overtake them. If they opened too late, the heat could become too much. They have been preparing for this opening all winter long. It will all happen at just the right time. And we get a front row seat to the hope which awaits.
It may not feel like it but God is working in you as well. You may feel quite dormant. You may feel lost or hopeless. You may be experiencing so great a grief you wonder how you will take another step. There is something happening within you. God is helping you through your grief. He is sheltering you from the storm. While you may feel like all has collapsed, he is really helping you to retreat until it is time.
Grief is so different than many of us expect. There is no timeline. There is no set ending. There is no program we go through so we get our certificate at the end. It is an experience. We all experience grief slightly different. We have unique connections to the ones we have lost. We have our own ways we react. Some may talk through their pain. Others may stay completely silent. Some may weep openly at any moment. Others may never weep where anyone sees. Some may seem to spring right back while others stay dormant for quite a while. The most important thing to know is we all experience this differently. There is no comparison. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. We shouldn’t impose our way of grieving on anyone else or expect ourselves to react like others have (or tell us to). It is an experience we must go through.
No matter where we may be in our grief, there are buds of hope waiting to spring open at just the right time. There are small miracles in our lives which help to soothe the pain. There are gifts which we get to experience when we look around. Blooms will appear, not too early and not too late. We don’t go around opening up blooms on plants. That would be devastating. We can’t go around forcing ourselves through this grief either. Hope awaits. We will bloom at just the right time. When we bloom, we will know God has been with us through it all.
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 