By now most of us have had enough winter for this year. We have had enough school closings, snow packed roads and delayed Metra trains. We have had enough frost on the window panes, iced roofs and gutters, and wind chill warnings. We have had enough winter and we are ready for the transition to spring.
Spring will come with signs of new life in tree buds and robins. But there will also be storms and potential flooding. There will be the beginning of the tornado seasons. Things won’t be perfect. Still some of us have put countdown clocks on our smartphone showing the days, hours, minutes and seconds till spring.
Strange how transitions in life are correlated with high levels of stress; yet, somehow we long for things to change.
In the midst of winter we look forward to spring as if tomorrow will be better because it is tomorrow. We look forward to the big transitions of life, graduations, marriages, births, job changes, moves, even retirement; yet, all are stressful. Spiritual peace is not found in tomorrow, but in this day.
Spiritual peace is not found in a countdown to transition, but in living fully now. When the difficulties and dangers of winter are managed and conquered one day at a time. When we celebrate the small accomplishments, after taking care of the essentials of life, we are free to enjoy the journey.
Grace and Peace.
