I've heard there have been plenty of sightings. Someone two hours south of us saw several in her yard. My husband saw some on our place coming home from school one day. A friend just saw her first one. But I as yet haven't see Mr. Robin. I will this him week though because I am going to eagerly seek signs of spring all week.
I don't know what weather has been like in your area of the world, but where I'm at it has been a rough winter. A friend and her husband lost several cows and 18 sheep. We got stuck and snowed in many times. There were days I cried in frustration when I tried to get Hawken and his chair through the snow to the house or the Suburban (even after we shoveled). People have died on the reservation this winter because they got lost in the snow. Another friend didn't make it church most Sundays this winter because just feeding her cows took all day (when your cows are scattered over acres and acres and you have to go by pickup and there are feet of snow in your path....well, you can understand). It's just been hard on us all.
Recently, God has blessed us with some beautiful spring-weather days. My entire picnic table is now free of snow for the first time since November (I sit by it regularly in the morning on weekends when it gets to a certain temperature). Green grass is growing. I see the stems and leaves of flowers beginning to poke out of the ground (which makes me really relieved because they are some of the flowers I planted last fall I wasn't sure would come up at all).
We've had cold, gray weather recently. And I know it is normal for spring to have cold, gray days weeks on end but this year it just feels exceptionally rough to deal with. So, I've decided to focus on spring signs. I am going to focus on the promise of warmer weather and sunshine then what we are experiencing presently. Mr. Robin and I will meet this week!
(And if you go to my church part of this post will remind you of my husband's sermon because he too talked about spring today, but he won't care that this piggybacks on his thoughts.)
This is how we need to approach God's word and all His promises. So often we read it and believe it but then nothing seems to be happening. We might even start questioning if God loves us or if God will really come through. And if we've gotten to a certain point in our walk with God we will holdl onto God's promises for a while but then those bleak gray days catch up with us and discouragement hits.
Don't let this happen! We don't have to be discouraged when it comes to God and His promises. He will come through as surely as spring will arrive in all its glory in the next few weeks. We know it will. We've seen it happen every year we've been alive. God is more faithful than the seasons He created. Heck, even the world knows the seasons are coming. We forget that it is God's promise they will be coming and even if winter delays we know it will arrive in some fashion. We know it as I know spring will be here. We will smell those lilacs. We will see loads of green grass. We will feel those warm gentle breezes and sunshine on our skin. We will. No one would refute that. So why do we doubt God's other promises?
Maybe its cause we don't know what they are. Here's a few (and if you dare find a few scriptures to back these promises up): He will provide; He is faithful and compassionate and forgiving and joyful and loving; He loves you; He has a good plan for your life; He's made a way for you to be with Him forever; He will come through if you wait on Him; He gives strength to those who wait expectantly; He is closer than your own breath.
That's just a tiny bit of what God promises. And every single promise is as sure as spring, summer, winter and fall. I don't know how many there are, but one site said there are 7000. I bet there are even more.
What you gotta do is look for signs -- not like weird signs but signs of God's faithfulness. Let spring remind you He's going to be here no matter what. Let that breeze remind you God loves you.
God knows it can be hard to trust Him. That's why He's put evidence of Himself absolutely everywhere. Look and see. If you can't see, ask God to open your eyes to see Him. He will.
I'm going to see a robin this week. What will you see?