Yesterday, I looked out my kitchen window, and there in all of its glory, was a stunning red cardinal. Against the backdrop of brown leaves and barren tree limbs, he stood out in bold perfection. I wandered outdoors and discovered that more of my daffodils were in full bloom. We expect freezing rain this coming weekend, and it is very early in the season for daffodils. Still, their bright yellow countenance on a gray winter day was a spectacular sight. Last, but certainly not least, a solitary grape hyacinth bloomed beside my doorstep. These beautiful blue flowers are harbingers of spring, a telling sign that new life awaits beneath the cloak of winter’s cold and ice.
I thought briefly about the landscape of our lives, the harrowing winter storms, the sudden onset of an early spring. Always in life, we must choose the lens through which we will view the world around us. Will we fix our gaze upon the bright beacons of hope that guide us to safety? Or will we focus upon the dim veil that surrounds our ‘winter moments’, the ice that threatens to cause us harm, the feeling that we must trek through the wilderness completely alone?
Sometimes, late at night, I wake up and catch a glimpse of the stars through the slats in the blinds. Oftentimes, I will get up and take a peek outside. I am never disappointed. Between the moon and the stars, the night sky is incredibly beautiful. The night is very dark, but with the moonlight and the starlight, the darkness is not the focus. It is the light that is mesmerizing.
Life is a journey, and we travel many roads. Along the way, God gives us friends and helpers to navigate our path. He also gives us a kind of navigational starlight if we choose to follow His path for our lives. No matter how deep the darkness is, God’s love remains steadfast. He will guide us each and every step of the journey.
In a winter-weary world, we must continuously seek out the wonderful pops of possibility God plants in our daily lives. If we are watchful, we will see His ‘Cardinals of hope’ working on our behalf day in and day out.
With practice, we come to see the beauty in everyday moments. We discover that spring lives eternally within our souls because the seed of God’s love is planted therein. It is a marvelous spring, full of wonder, full of surprises.
The natural world is awesome, created by God as a wondrous gift. But, greater by far, is the love that binds us to our Heavenly Father. It is a love that cannot be measured. It is a love that brings joy to our days, no matter the circumstances of our lives. How blessed we are to focus on the beauty of His divine love, the love of a Father for His own children.
Daily, we must open our hearts and minds to His gifts of wonder and surprise. God is delighted when we come upon a field of daffodils, or a solitary flower blooming in winter. Perhaps, He wants to remind us to keep our focus on Him, the giver of all good gifts. Perhaps, He wants us to know that no matter how gray the landscape at any given moment in our lives, that He will provide all that we need. The One who created the stars, placed His own starlight within us, the only light we will ever need to find our way home.
John 16:33:”I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But, take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
This time of year, I like to create a visual of the spring that will soon come to be. I look at flower catalogs and gardening magazines. A couple of times, I created a vision board for what I hoped my dream garden would look like in spring and summer. The pictures below are from the Biltmore Estate Gardens. I visited there a few years ago and it was awesome! No, my garden will not look like this, but it is fun to think about!
1 Corinthians 13:13: “Three things will last forever: faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.” NLT
I love the idea of cardinals of hope. Biltmore is a special place. My husband and I greatly enjoyed our one visit there. Truth be told, though, the view of the mountains beat out the house and the grounds.
You are so right! The mountains were beautiful. I did not want to leave…
🙂
The cardinals DO bolster our hope. Their brilliance portends the colorful radiance of spring yet to come. They also remind me of the faithfulness of God as he cares for them all winter. We can’t go wrong with our hope in HIM!
Yes! The cardinals do remind us of God’s faithfulness and love. It is a long winter! But, no winter is too long for our God! We are so blessed…
Just today, we (Iowa) heard our much anticipated first boisterous spring song of a cardinal!
That is wonderful! Slowly, spring will come, and we will be ready!
that is awesome Linda. My idea of a vision board is the fish pictures on the refrigerator by the grandkids pictures. You get blooms and a cardinal. How fun.
I like your vision with the grandkids and the fish! It is wonderful that you take them fishing and spend time with them. Those pictures do tell a thousand stories, and you are making great memories. My grandchildren are still little, but I have them out gardening with me…special times!
With eight inches of new snow on the ground this weekend, I’m not seeing any thing. And with the current temperature at minus 2, I’m not going outside anyway. But the good thing about seasonal change is that there is always something to look forward to.
Same thing with our faith life. God is always doing something new. He keeps us secure in His arms while sanctifying us more and more each day.
I love your comment that God is always doing something new. I like the change of seasons also. It reminds us that we must embrace change and celebrate all the seasons in our own lives. They are not the same, but each season has its own unique blessings.
so full of beauty, hope and optimism … lovely post and so glad spring has come early for you Linda 🙂
It is very cold today! It is 36 degrees and raining. This time of year, we have our highs and lows. Still, the signs of spring are here! 🙂
hold onto the hope, the cold wet will clear up 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂
What a blessing to see that cardinal, a little reflection of God’s great passion for us! Lovely words of inspiration too. 🙂
Where would we be without birds? They inspire so much joy! You are right…they are little blessings!!!
There’s always something for my seeking heart in your posts. This one doesn’t disappoint either. What reached out and snagged my spirit was, …harbingers of spring, a telling sign that new life awaits beneath the cloak of winter’s cold and ice. It means a lot to me to read this today when it feels like I truly have nothing left in the tank.
Our lives certainly have their ups and downs. This time of year can be especially hard for people. The holidays are past, and the weather is unpredictable. Winter does have its dreary days! I love flowers. I like just thinking about them! Keeping a garden is such a wondrous thing. You plant, water, fertilize, and wait. Gardening does cultivate a patient heart. 🙂
Your words bring much encouragement and your beautiful flowers bring hope of new life. It lifted my spirits to read that you’re already seeing the hope of spring in your yard. As winter dropped another 4 inches on top of the 4 inches we already had, I saw a cardinal land on my deck. If God knows how to care for him, he will surely care for me in the middle of any storm.
Yes! God is always there for us. Life is not always easy, but God brings us hope and new life in Him. We have a wintry day today and the temperatures have dropped here also. We have cold rain, instead of snow!!! I do look forward to springtime days…just around the corner. 🙂
Linda, this post is so beautifully written. Very poetic and spiritually uplifting. It’s always a pleasure to read your writing.
Thank you! I appreciate your kind comment! I enjoyed writing this post as I spent time looking at a great many pictures beforehand…all photographs of springtime, gardens in full bloom, lots of flowers.
I love spring flowers peeking through the snow. It always reminds me of to miracles that come when we abide in Christ.
I love your comment! That is a wonderful thought and I thank you for sharing it. You could pen a book starting with those first two lines: “I love spring flowers peeking through the snow. It always reminds me of the miracles that come when we abide in Christ.” I can picture the cover with flowers ‘peeking’ up from their snowy habitat. 🙂 You are a writer!
Your daffys are blooming!?! How splendid, Linda. I love those early flowers, they brighten my spirits. Actually, the first day of winter brightens my spirits because it means the light is returning, so I guess I’m good all year round. Ha ha. As your beautiful post says, there is always hope and always reasons to celebrate the amazing changes of natures seasons. Each one is full of gifts. <3 <3
The quiet of winter is a beautiful thing in itself. Every season has something to teach us and that is a grand thing. Also, we are always looking forward to the next season, and so, the ‘wonder’ is both before us, and ahead of us as well. There is so much to celebrate; we are so very blessed in every season of our lives.
Oh my what beautiful February daffodils, Linda. A message of spring in February. To be honest my timing in reading this couldn’t be more perfect. It is a winter weary day here- cloudy, cold, raw, and very, very brown, so your words “In a winter-weary world, we must continuously seek out the wonderful pops of possibility God plants in our daily lives. If we are watchful, we will see His ‘Cardinals of hope’ working on our behalf day in and day out” really resonated. I’ll have to admit I was bemoaning the dreariness of the day when I was out walking the dogs. Your post reminded me to enjoy those pops of color flitting among the leafless trees and shrubs like the reds on the woodpeckers and the brilliant blues of the bluebirds and blue jays.
I have no doubt that you found lots of ‘wonder’ on your walks with the dogs. Being their inquisitive selves, dogs often help us see things we might otherwise miss. They pause and sniff and take note of everything!!! In winter, the little pops of color really make a difference…even the little holly berries. 🙂
Nothing like a cardinal to perk us up! Your words, as always, are so lovely, Linda. You make me want to stop right here and look at all the beautiful details around me (bougainvillea in red bloom hanging across the top of my window). Your photos are beautiful, too. You always make me feel so much more contented, Linda.
Your bougainvillea sounds so beautiful! It is these little things that bring us so much joy. Your home is full of happy things…the photos under glass, like your daughter’s handprint, contented cats, books, and your art-journals. Yes! You are surrounded by beauty!
Thank you Linda. My theme word of this year is Hope. Your phrase of “cardinals of hope” resonated with me. Just as we can rely on the return of spring in the coming weeks, we can always count on the love of God.
Yes! Hope is a wonderful theme for the year. God keeps His promises and is always there for us.
I just love your posts, Linda! They remind us of the good in life, and that God really is in charge, even during the scary times. Thank you for that!
You are right, Ann! God is always in charge. It is good to focus on the positive. In the hard times, it is more of an effort! Alone, we cannot change the world. But, with God’s help, we can each do our best to make the world a better place.
Linda these beautiful Feb daffodils caught my attention. In my yard they bloom in late March. So many different amazing flowers in garden . Thanks for sharing your writing. Anita
Our daffodils are a bit early this year. We have had a number of warm days. We have had our share of cold days as well! 🙂 I am ready for spring!
Love the splashes of colors here, Linda. “Cardinals Of Hope” is also so visual. Nothing I am struck by more than a male cardinal, especially against the snow. God’s grip – Alan
i have seen a number of male cardinals of late. In a winter landscape, they do stand out against the rather bleak surroundings. We do not have snow, which is always captivating in itself. The trees are bare, and the winter has left its doormat of brown leaves. The touch of color is so promising! Spring is close, and that is a wonderful thing to think about.
Remind me of what part of the country you live in.
I live in Virginia. We do get some snow, but not so very much. Right now, we are having some warmer weather. (I hope it stays like this!) 🙂
I understand. Here in Dallas, we might get snow once, or max of twice a year. We seem to get sleet and ice more often than the white powder stuff. I would rather drive in snow. Spring is just around the bend.
I love this post so much. What a beautiful description of nature’s beauty and bounty, with a reminder of how we choose our our lens, our focus & perspective. Your writing is like a painting; your words like brushstrokes, full of color and texture. What a gift.