First Robin of Spring
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1
The first robin I see in late winter brings incredible joy to my weary-dreary heart. Winter seems endless but that first robin seems to inspire me and stoke the fire of hope. Peggy Frezon (All God’s Creatures) and I have similar feelings.
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If there is one thing I don’t enjoy, it’s change. I’d rather go along the way I’m accustomed to. Change is difficult. Change is uncomfortable. Change is bad.
Yet walking my dogs around the park on that wonderfully warm first day of spring, I realized that, in fact, change was all around me. The grass certainly wasn’t this green last week. Those buds on the branches seemed to appear before my very eyes. We crossed over a little footbridge, a recently frozen brook beneath now trickling with a gentle flow. That’s when I heard it—a beautiful song, like a lilting flute. Then I saw it. The unmistakable rusty-red breast, the bright-yellow beak, and the sharp black eyes of a robin. He hopped over the grass, searching for a worm. Some robins move south in the winter while others stay, lying low to preserve their energy. He caught my eye and cocked his head. I hadn’t seen a robin in months. He was a sure sign of spring.
The robin flew over the park, which I now saw had blossomed alive with change! It flapped above a yellow butterfly returning from its long migration. It landed on a rock next to a little chipmunk that had previously been hibernating. (My golden retriever Petey pulled at his leash to give chase.) The redbreast then pecked at the ground beside a beetle that was crawling out of its hiding place in the earth. (My older dog, Ernest, poked at it with his wet nose.)
God certainly knew what He was doing when He created the changing seasons. I guess it’s the same for me. The seasons in my life change as I age, but they all work together for good. Now, whenever I see a little robin hopping across the grass, I’ll remember that. Yes, change can be hard. But change is good.
Spring is a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can be. —Anonymous
Almighty Creator, thank You for change. Even though we act mule-ish, help us to see the value in change. Please bring us through each new season with joyful hearts. AMEN.
Photograph Michael Johnston