Hello friends and welcome to this reflection followed by a short Lectio Divina.
What spring invites.
February is often the month that clings on to winter.
Here we've had stormy weather,
Bitter cold,
Rain,
Wind and dull grey days.
As the trees give the smallest hint of new buds,
February brings all it can to prolong the dark cold of winter.
But February never wins and never can because whatever the weather,
Springtime always finds a way.
It comes as a surprise that out of every dormant barren winter season new life pushes upwards,
Outwards and onwards.
The mystery of what goes on in the dark of soil or hidden within the tree finally finds light and tiny buds begin to appear.
Little blooms of yellow and white make a way upon which spring can walk in all her resplendent majesty and beauty.
I'm aware of the early signals that spring is approaching as I walk.
I notice the little buds begin to show themselves.
I see change.
The daffodils and snowdrops festoon the garden.
Something begins to stir in me.
I'm a little unsettled by it.
Although I love the warmth,
Colour and life that this coming season brings,
I'm not sure I'm ready for it.
I'm not sure I want to face what it invites and that it entices me from the quiet dormancy of winter into something new,
Alive and awake.
I feel like the dormouse stirred from quiet peaceful sleep.
I rub my eyes and very slowly come to.
Autumn invited me to let go,
To allow death,
To leave some things behind.
Spring asked me what I'm being invited to pick up,
To have hope for,
To live into.
What desires kindle in my heart?
What is beginning to awake that wants a little nudge?
What new life is being formed within that asks for expression?
Am I aware of those places that are flourishing within me and giving them full permission to be and even grow?
What touches my soul with hope?
Am I giving time to be with that hope,
Giving it nurture and space?
As humans it's a scientifically researched truth that we tend towards negativity.
We are more prone to be with the lack,
The who or what I'm not,
Who I want to be rather than who I am.
Spring invites us to connect with the beauty,
Truth and giftedness of who we are right now.
Giving attention to what we bring to the world,
To the colour,
Depth and richness that we offer even as we're still on the journey to becoming whole.
All of us have spring within us.
Hope is an offer that's ever-present.
Can we give permission as spring emerges from this winter to let ourselves emerge alongside it?
To risk being seen a little more?
To offer ourselves to others without apology?
To own our own flourishing and aliveness and to give some space to what is joy and life within us?
As accompaniment to the reflection I was reminded of some beautiful words from Song of Songs and so I want to offer a short Lectio Divina on these words.
I'm going to read them three times and on this first reading I invite you to simply receive them as a gift without attaching to any in particular.
And as a way to prepare I invite you to take two or three deeper wider breaths to settle into the space that you're in.
To invite stillness.
To receive the grace to be present.
See the winter is past.
The rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth.
The season of singing has come.
The cooing of doves is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit.
The blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise come my darling.
My beautiful one come with me.
On this second reading I invite you to notice any words or phrases that stand out to you.
See the winter is past.
The rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth.
The season of singing has come.
The cooing of doves is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit.
The blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise come my darling.
My beautiful one come with me.
And on this third and final reading allow the words and phrases that stood out to you to go deeper.
To bring you their offering,
Their invitation.
Notice what they're stirring within you and how you want to respond to them.
See the winter is past.
The rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth.
The season of singing has come.
The cooing of doves is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit.
The blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise come my darling.
My beautiful one come with me.
I invite you to linger over these words that paint such a vibrant,
Colourful picture.
Invite them to speak to you.
Invite them to stir spring to awaken in you.
Let them lead you into your flourishing.
Amen.
