Holding On

"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." (Hebrews 10:23, New Living Translation)

There are the four wonderful seasons, and then there is March. In New England, it could be called spwintah: t-shirts and open car windows for three or four days straight, followed by numbing winds and snow that make January and February look lame by comparison. Apparently, that last part is going to be our lot this week.

Oh God, why?

Through the pen of Paul in the book of Romans, God says that He created the seasons and all of creation—even spwintah—to help all peoples in all the world know Him as Maker and Lord of all things and to show that He is always with us: "From the beginning, creation in its magnificence enlightens us to His nature. Creation itself makes His undying power and divine identity clear, even though they are invisible..."

For one thing, March is a tangible reminder that while we live in the now, we long for the glorious not yet. The t-shirt and open window moments not only give us a foretaste of that promised land, but encourage us to step into the authority and privilege of being children of God to bring a glimpse of the supernatural life and light and power of His heavenly goodness into the often cold reality of others' struggles, pain, and loneliness.

For another thing, March is a tangible way that God answers our question, "what do hope and faith really look like?" Several years ago, there was a March of all Marches. It snowed endlessly, and the snowbanks in my driveway were so high, neither shovel or snowblower could find room for one more inch. Opening Day for the Red Sox was just around the corner. Surely, this would be the year of no spring.

But above the towering snowbanks, a robin started singing....and a few weeks later, the black flies were out, and the snow shovel was replaced by a spade to tackle the garden's first weeds.

We may not like the weather forecast this week, especially now that it's Daylight Savings Time. But it's good to know that while we can be impatient in ways we thought we'd never be impatient, His promises of hope, of His presence 24/7, of resurrection life, and of new beginnings never fail — and are always right on time...

"He launches His promises earthward —

How swift and sure they come!

He spreads snow like a white fleece,

He scatters frost like ashes,

He broadcasts hail like birdseed —

Who can survive His winter?

Then He gives the command, and it all melts;

He breathes on winter...suddenly, it's spring!"

(Psalm 147:15-18, The Message)