Psalm 40:1-8
We lived in Nova Scotia for several years and truly enjoyed the beau-
tiful winters. Yet moving from Charleston, SC, with average daytime
highs of 57 degrees in January to Wolfville, Nova Scotia, with average
highs of 30 degrees, was a shock to the system. In our first 10 days,
the temperature never rose above 10 degrees, and I haven’t even
mentioned the nighttime temps!
We snowshoed our way through those snowy winters and longed for spring. By the end of March, I was ready. Our friends down south were posting photos of buds, blooms, and even beaches. Meanwhile, in Nova Scotia it was still snowing—or cold raining, which is worse. April there is mud season; if the ground isn’t frozen, it’s a sea of mud.
According to folklore, the first snow after the spring equinox is
the smelt snow, which brings back the smelt (small fish). The second
snowfall is the robin snow, calling back the robins. The (hopefully)
final snow, is “poor man’s fertilizer,” which soaks the fields with
moisture and nitrates for June planting.
So we waited for spring through the smelt snow, the robin snow, the poor man’s fertilizer snow and, honestly, a couple more. But when buds appeared, I was amazed at how green they were and how quickly they blossomed. Crocus, daffodils, tulips, snowdrops, and violets, along with spring leaves were much more vibrant than anything I had experienced in the South.
The psalmist describes waiting patiently. This is hard in an instant gratification, one-day delivery, Uber Eats world. But waiting with patience and hope so often opens the door to a glorious day that we appreciate in new ways, one that is well worth the wait.
Consider
What are you waiting for? What helps you trust that it will appear?
Pray
God, help us to trust that our waiting will not be in vain. Help us wait patiently by putting our hope in the One who loves and sustains us. Amen.