by Charleen Burghardt
Early March holds the remnants of winter. The deciduous trees remain bare, and the dormant grass reminds us of cold temperatures. Before the official start of spring, one variety of Texas wildflowers, bluebonnets, seems to pop up out of nowhere. They pop up before trees and grasses revitalize.
The Surprise Guess of Early Spring
At the tail end of winter in South Texas, blue-purple flowers emerge in grassy areas and rocky places. At first, a lone flower appears. The next day, more flowers sprout, and then, by the third day, a carpet of bluebonnets covers the fields. These wildflowers grow in the strangest places. Besides flourishing in meadows, they thrive in rocky soil and along the highway.
The shape of the pedal resembles a bonnet women used to wear to shield themselves from the sun. This early guest of spring germinates in the fall with small, almost hidden, green blades. Amazingly, the frost, snow (we have very little snow in South Texas), and cold temperatures don’t kill the delicate plant. The emerging bluebonnet blossoms signal spring, with colors ranging from blue to purple, violet, or periwinkle.
Bluebonnets become celebrities in the news. Their sightings bring excitement as spring approaches.
The Celebrity of Spring
Not long after these delicate flowers erupt, the barren trees bud. Within a week, trees leaf out. The budding happens quickly. Every year, I ask myself, “How does this happen?”
This year, the trees were bare when we flew to Chicago to visit a cousin. Upon arrival after a three-day trip, the trees had green leaves sprouting from branches. Amazing.
How Life Appears When Everything Looks Barren
During winter, we don’t notice new life under the brown earth, unaware of what is developing beneath the surface. The physical season of winter reminds me of emotional dark times. We sometimes experience a winter of the soul, a time of grieving or suffering, when difficulties outnumber blessings. Hope seems out of reach. Gloomy months with long nights and lonely days are part of winter, so our spirits can feel the same way. Maybe we pray during these times. We reach out to a friend. Or we cry in despair, thinking the darkness in our souls will never end. We experience the winter of the soul.
A friend, Norma Gail, writes of her Winter of the Soul. “Stripped of summer’s green grass and autumn’s glory, my heart lay bare and naked against cold, gray skies. “
When We Experience Winter of the Soul
Somehow, through the miracle of the seasons, small flowers appear. With the first sightings of bluebonnets, we understand a change is coming. Likewise, a miracle can occur, and amid our loneliness and sorrow, hope emerges.
“Hope is seeing that there is light despite all the darkness’”
Desmond Tutu
It can start small and gradually grow as spring comes to our souls. I believe God imparts hope to us when circumstances appear grim or emotions ebb low. God comes bringing a holy expectation, called hope; hope generates faith. God gives fresh vision, much like the spring rain, to lighten our discouragement or despair.
Hope Begins Small, like a Single Flower
Let’s know, let’s press on to know the Lord; whose appearing is as certain as the dawn; who will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that give drink to the earth.” Hosea 6:3
When I observe the green buds and hear the chatter of the birds, I grasp that spring is here. Daylight becomes longer and temperatures warm. Anticipation fills the air. When I observe the bluebonnet, I think of God doing a new thing. Perhaps you are in a winter of the soul with loneliness or trials. Be assured, God is constantly working.
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19
God is Always Doing a New Thing
Hope and vision will emerge. Anticipate God doing a new thing.
Watch for the Bluebonnets in Your Life
Grace Offers Hope,
Check out my new book: Where Hope Rises: 60 Devotions for Walking Through Grief with God
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