Beautiful Spring: A Sign of Hope?

Wow! I am completely overwhelmed at the beauty that waits around every corner these days! On several of our walks through the neighborhood this week, Charlie and I (well, maybe not so much Charlie!) have seen the most gorgeous roses I ever remember seeing. The flowers are massive and the bushes are so heavy with blossoms the branches are bending under their weight. They all look like weeping roses. The colors are vibrant. Irises, too, are in full bloom with a wild and beautiful array of colors from all shades of purple and lavender to white, yellows, bronzes. Later I will go out and take some photos as an example but photos fail utterly when trying to convey the incredible show found in the reality of nature.

I wonder as I wander and gaze in awe how much this floral abundance is related to the unusually harsh winter we had. More snow than I ever remember falling here in the 30-plus years since I've lived in the area. And very cold temperatures for weeks at a time. (Cold, of course, is relative; in Portland that means below freezing, not below zero.) Of course, the beautiful display could also have something to do with the unusually beautiful May we're having. Days of fair weather, one after the other, is incredibly rare in the spring and we're working on well over a week, with more to come. Undoubtedly we will pay for this beauty later with water shortages but for now it's an incomparable and very timely gift.

This winter, when we were battling more than a foot of snow, below freezing temperatures and icy, treacherous roads, all we could dream about and hope for was spring. It has come roaring in with so much enthusiasm and joy that it makes our hearts sing in gladness and thanksgiving. People seem so much friendlier, happier, when the sun is out, the flowers are all in bloom, and the temperatures are in the 70s and 80s.

This makes me think of what’s happening in people’s lives right now with the economic challenges. I have a friend who has been out of work for more than a year and is about to lose his house to foreclosure. He sells his furniture when he needs money for food or to keep the electricity turned on for another month. It is taking a huge toll on him and he is clearly struggling with depression and despair. I pray for his turnaround and for the rescue of all who are struggling and fearful in these challenging times.

I trust that this current economy is but a bad winter storm and very soon the sun will return to warm the earth and our hearts. I think that is what this amazing spring is telling us. “Just wait till you see the marvelous things in store once the economy turns around again and people find their hope and joy restored.” I trust that there will again be abundance and beauty for all, that we will learn important lessons, that we will understand that greed created this tailspin in the first place and learn to live with “Enough” and be thankful for it; I pray we can just say no to “Too Much” and “Even More.” My hope is that we can better learn to share with others, better learn to live in the abundance we already have, like the beauty of spring, the laughter of friends, good health, or the first steps of a grandchild.