Woke up to snow today. It was beautiful, but cold!!! Some times Spring makes me so impatient. We have a warm, balmy, sunny day, and I am all set for warm weather. I start getting all the children's summer clothes out and clean out the sheds. The last warm spell we had the kids even put their swimsuits on and took a swim.
But it is only April, and the warm weather was certainly not here to stay. The weather has been icy and windy the last couple of days, and we have all found ourselves grumbling a bit.
The timing of the cold weather coincides with Holy Week, and it gives one pause to think (metaphorically) about the "cold weather" in our lives. Lent is a time of denial and waiting. It is a time to embrace suffering and see it as a means to grow closer to God. Easter brings rebirth and life. Easter is a reminder to us that the suffering we experience on earth is only passing, and God has created us to share life with Him! In the same way, the cold weather(like Lent or the suffering in our lives) causes us to be impatient for the warm weather(like Easter or the joyful times in our lives).
The problem is, suffering and joy are not always separate. One can be joyful and be suffering, and one can be suffering and be joyful. Someone could also not be "suffering," yet be far from joyful. Should our moods depend on the weather? Should our level of happiness be based on the storms or lack of storms in our lives?
Even on the coldest days, we have warm moments. Even in the hardest times of our lives we have many joyful moments. I remember one time in college I ran into a friend on exam day. I noticed how happy he seemed, and I remarked "You seem so happy on exam day." He replied, "Some of the best things happen on exam day!" It may not always be warm outside, but we can have "Easter" in our hearts. We can have the knowledge and faith in the resurrection that carries us through the hard times, knowing that God has His Loving Hands on us the whole time.
I wish you a blessed, peaceful Holy Week. Easter is coming!!!
