This morning I saw a robin.

You might be thinking, What’s the big deal?

The big deal is that the robin is one of the first birds to return in the spring.

This morning it’s cloudy and damp, with rain falling steadily, yet there it was—a robin hopping around in my yard. The sight of that little bird lifted my heart heavenward. I know that when the robins return, the cold, snowy, lifeless days of winter will soon be only a memory.

A few days ago I drove past a field of wheat and noticed a faint hint of green spreading across the landscape. The crop that had lain brown and dormant through the winter is beginning to sense the change in the season as the daylight hours slowly increase. There are even small buds coming out on the leafless trees.

Even when the world feels chaotic and uncertain, God places signs of hope and encouragement all around us.

Look for them and I might add, listen for them. As I write this, I can hear the robin right outside my window lifting his morning song of praise.

Pay attention to what God may be saying to you in this very moment. Don’t miss the robins in your life. Don’t overlook the quiet signs of hope and renewal.

Yes, for us northerners at least, it’s still cold and damp outside.

But hallelujah—there was a robin in my yard today.

And that means warmer, brighter days are on the way.

Lamentations 3:22-24 (ESV) The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

Blessings,

Jarvis