Winter, winter, go away...

Rise up, my love, my fair one.

For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of the singing of the birds is come…

Song of Solomon 2:10b-12a [KJV]

It was 81◦ in Richmond, Virginia yesterday.  It has gradually been getting warmer after what can only be described around here as a brutal winter.  Yesterday was a day to celebrate, and the sights and sounds of reawakening were everywhere in my neighborhood:  lawns were being mowed, cars were being washed, pansies were blossoming anew, and the sound of a few birds wafted through the warm air.  I was able to get out and walk – an activity that had pretty much come to a standstill during the bitter cold of winter.

The late afternoon brought warm rain—gentle at first, then a rousing downpour.  The rainfall immediately cooled the temperature, which dropped further during the night. This morning it is 37◦, with the high only going up to 55◦, but yesterday’s promise of spring has ignited our hunger for sunny days and mild nights, for green grass and fat robins. Yesterday was a harbinger of God’s pledge that when the fullness of time has come, spring will burst forth in all her glory.

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,

The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.

This is my Father’s world, He shines in all that’s fair,

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,

He speaks to me everywhere.