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Spring has Sprung
 as published in Great Yarmouth Parish Life
4th March 2019
Revd Helen Lynch
March 'comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb', so the saying goes. It's one of those very transitional months of the year. As the seasons turn, it seems the world suddenly springs to life with umpteen shades of green, putting on an outrageous show of abundance
This year, I have the privilege of seeing a new garden come to life. People who know about these things say you shouldn't do anything much to a garden for the first year you're looking after it, instead, waiting and watching to see what secrets will reveal themselves
I've cheated a little bit and done some hard pruning of things which had obviously got a bit too big for their boots, but I'm also noticing slightly subtler things poking their noses out. There are crocuses already in flower, and other bulbs coming up. The roses are starting to unfurl new shoots, and the grass will soon need cutting again. I've decided to leave the front garden more to its own devices, hoping it will encourage wildlife, and there are all sorts of things stretching their legs having been saved from the lawnmower
Even if you don't have a garden, you can't help but notice when spring has sprung, it seems the whole world wakes up after the winter, inhales a good lungful of that fresh spring air, and looks a bit more outside of themselves. For me personally the bleakness of winter has matched my mood during a stark and desolate time. I know many of you will also have had times which, like life in Narnia, have felt like 'always winter and never Christmas'
So, Lent for me this year, is very much a time of looking forward to new beginnings, waiting to see what new shoots will spring up, clearing back dead wood to let the sunshine in. In Lent we remember that Jesus knows what it is to be in a desolate wilderness, and know that it's ok to make space to be still, watch, and wait for the outrageous show of God's abundant love for us
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