This weekend spring began to arrive. The snow, melting under the heat of the Sun, created water flowing down sloping streets, made puddles on sidewalks so big you had to walk on the boulevard, dodging mud that oozed  through the crusty snow. The sound of running water-so different from the silence of snow falling-was everywhere. The scent of soil and green permeated the air. Did you smell it?

People came out of their houses, loaded children in strollers or wagons, put dogs on leashes and took to the streets. You could sense the change,potential…..hope all around. As people walked there was a lightness of being in their steps……even the dogs seemed to be smiling. They arrived back home muddy, wet, shoes and paws full of promise.

March….Lent….Spring…..these are the in-between times. All that is beautiful and full of Creation comes out of chaos and messiness, we know this from the Genesis story, from the Easter story, from the turning of the seasons, from giving birth and living our lives.  Out of chaos, pain,fear,confusion, faith, doubt, death, comes rebirth, new life,resurrection. Paying attention in March to the melting, the re-freezing, the dirt,the sloshing and tracking, helps us arrive at Easter and Spring awake with gratitude for the fullness of the journey.

Today I am going to dig out the red, rubber gardening shoes I purchased on clearance in August. I have a feeling I’m going to need them. Today I want to be present to the melting, the mud and the messiness. "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven."