Spring is coming!

In the midst of winter, when it’s a cold and rainy day, most of us want to snuggle up under a blanket next to a fire with a hot drink. Well, probably not in Darwin or Cairns, but you get the idea. Winter evokes memories of cozy evenings around a fire or campfire.

But if winter lingers too long, it can also be a time of wishing for spring to alight upon us, with its warmer days and sudden bursts of colour as plants begin to poke their heads through the earth or burst into bloom.

Winter can also affect our soul - our mind, will, and emotions. The winter blues (or seasonal affective disorder if you want to get technical) can indeed be a reality for many. I am so grateful for friends who are optimistic by nature and see the world through the lens of endless springtime possibilities. They’re the ones who are, at times, annoyingly cheerful and will give you a positive spin on every situation. They don’t just have rose-coloured glasses; they have rainbow glasses:). They are like Tigger, Winnie the Pooh bear’s friend, who bounces through life, without a moment’s pause to consider and reflect on the deeper things of life or on the effects of problems on others.

Then there are those who, through a combination of personality and life experience, are more like Winnie’s friend, Eeyore, the donkey, who perpetually finds the negative and always wears a ‘Woe is me’ expression. I guess he’s the dark clouds and rain.

Myself, I am a bit of a mixture, I guess. I love to find the blessing in every situation and encourage others wherever I can that there is something good to be found even in the most difficult circumstances. But I also feel things deeply, especially when it involves others’ pain around loss and grief. And if it involves children, there is an empathy in my soul that is so deep that it becomes painful.

I have had to do some soul-searching lately, to try and discover why I so deeply align myself with others’ grief. Is it just how I am made, have my life experiences made me much more vulnerable to crashing emotions when I hear bad news, or is it a combination of both?

As I was out walking the other day, feeling some of those ‘winter blues’, a little girl was riding her bike towards me. She stopped, smiled and said ‘Hello’. Later, I saw her again while she was having a picnic with two other children. She saw me, smiled and waved, then said to the other two, “Wave, and say goodbye”, which they both did with big smiles like I was their best friend.

It once again highlighted to me that, when we are struggling with life’s ups and downs, God will provide a glimpse of His love and care, in a myriad of ways, if we are willing to see it. And from my experience, it will always be in ways that speak to our hearts as individuals.

So, while I haven’t yet found the answer to my question, I am grateful for the life experiences that have given me the ability to empathise with others. Helping others navigate through the winter of their souls into spring is what makes a community special, and something I think we all desire in our increasingly isolated world.

Today, may your world be filled with the sounds, sights, and smells of spring bursting forth.