Norma claims this is her least favourite time of the year. The excitement and busyness of the festive season is long gone. The days are still short, with few signs of Spring growth, although many flowers, such as Snowdrops and Daffodils, are confused by recent global warming, and start appearing earlier that ever before. Nevertheless, this can appear to be a dull and lifeless time of the year.
Yet, to sit back and simply await better times is not doing justice to the life and the world God has provided for us. We should always try to look forward with gratitude for the blessings God has provided, rather than pessimistically dwell on what we perceive we have been denied.
Ash Wednesday starts the season of Lent in the middle of February. Ironically, despite traditional being a time of denial, it is nowadays also associated with the taking up of something, perhaps a time of challenge, to use the gifts God has given us. In this way we may both reinvigorate our lives yet start to appreciate life is what we make it.
Jesus said, ‘I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full’ (John 10: 10). If we accept Jesus into our lives our dispositions may change and we may approach life with excitement throughout all the seasons of the year.
God bless,
Tim and Norma