Transforming Signs

Even though the days and weeks seem to fly by so quickly, the reality is it’s still February – it is still winter – and yet another round of snow is in our forecast for tomorrow night. There’s a deep and abiding restlessness this time of year – a longing for warmth and sunshine and color (any color) instead of the almost two-toned black and white of this Wisconsin winter.

But some signs of spring are emerging amid the winter storms…at least I think they’re signs of spring. A few small, courageous birds braved snow and wind one day to perch on a snow bank outside my window and a gorgeous red fox sprinted effortlessly across a snow-covered field as I was driving to an appointment yesterday. These signs speak to me of the emerging new life of spring. And they remind me of hope – hope in what is transforming in nature and the hope and trust that ultimately has its birth and fulfillment in the Divine One – the hope and trust I strive to attain (even when I am so very impatient).

Nature is ripe with signs of glorious beauty, if only we take the time to really see – not only with our eyes, but with our whole being. This kind of “seeing” is what I call beholding – being captivated and in utter awe of what one sees. Just a couple of nights ago, as I was driving into town, I caught a glimpse of a sight in the rear view mirror I rarely see: the sun was just about below the horizon, most of the western sky was a deep purple, and a wide shaft of bright orange was shining straight up from the setting sun as if reaching high into the heavens. This was a truly holy and awesome sunset and my first thought was that I wanted to “capture” and hang on to this sight. But then, I just as quickly let that thought go, feeling in my heart that I could no more hang onto this one beautiful sunset than I can will myself into a mystical experience. Sacred time knows not the constraints of human time measurement. Sacred time is a gift, poured out in grace sometimes at the most unanticipated moments, and received with humble appreciation. Blessed be!