Spring…Did It Really Arrive?

Three weeks ago I watched four robins hop from spot to spot looking for their breakfast. I smiled and quietly whispered, Spring! Finally! Why? Because seeing a robin in mid March or hearing its chirping in the wee hours of the morning is a promise that winter is coming to an end! And I’m all for that! Even so, a couple of days later, I watched in dismay as a couple of robins sat noticeably puffed up in the tree outside our balcony window when the weather took a nasty turn. But the change of season was on their side for it was not long before the clouds parted and the sun brought warmth and the promise of better days ahead.

Robins—a sign that cold wintry days are almost over and spring is in the air!

But there’s another sign that spring is on the threshold: that recognizable honking in the sky. We look toward the sound and watch as a flock—or a skein—of geese weave back and forth in a delicate but intentional formation. For those of us who find them fascinating, we watch and wonder in amazement at how they fly the way they do and wonder why it is so deliberate. As one of God’s creations, they have the instinctive ability to fly in a V formation, to be lead by the strongest and most experienced bird who knows when to drop back for a rest and allow the next bird to take the lead. And they fly in this particular way so that all the geese in the flock can keep an eye on each other and prevent any mid-air collisions. I find that simply amazing! I wrote a poem several years ago entitled Trust and shared it on my May 2015 blog. The opening reads:

Their honking is heard across the sky
Stretching their wings
In perfect form they fly,
Never faltering

For me the geese in flight are the perfect sign that spring is around the corner, and, along with the robins, crocuses, tulips, and infant buds on the trees, they announced spring’s arrival on March 21st. And I completely missed the date! Did it really arrive? Shame on me! I have no excuse except that perhaps it’s because I still think of March as a winter month…all of it. And perhaps that’s because we were married on the 27th amidst a terrific snow storm that permitted only one outdoor picture. The wedding party stood shivering outside the church doors, said the dutiful word, cheese, and then quickly retreated to the warmth of the church! Five days later (now early April!) we hit a patch of ice on Hwy 401 and did a 360° as we headed away from Toronto toward London with a car full of wedding gifts. So, perhaps that will excuse me for forgetting that I actually was a spring bride!

It’s been fifty-seven years since that near fatality, but God granted us safety as there was not a car in front or behind us. All I saw was a guardrail flying by in my peripheral vision as we spun on the ice and came to a stop, facing in the right direction. Looking back, I have no doubt that God spared our lives so we would come to know Him personally, accept Him as our Lord and Saviour and, with His help and guidance, strive to serve and please Him for “as long as we both shall live.”

Happy Anniversary, Doug. I love you more today than I did yesterday but not as much as I will tomorrow.♥