Today it’s my pleasure to introduce guest blogger Sarah Broady. Like so many who are ready for an end to this long winter, Sarah is watching for signs of spring. When she sees a blue jay outside the window, she finds not only a sign of spring, but also hope for her special needs parenting journey.

Pondering the Blue Jay: Living Like Spring in the Landscape of Winter

Every morning, I sit on the couch that faces our bay window drinking my tea and reading, or “computering” for a while as I look outside. This morning the scenery outside catches my attention and captivates my thoughts. Even though I think spring has officially begun, it still looks quite wintery outside with dead trees empty of their leaves, and grass that only has patches of green here and there. It’s a cloudy day, so there is no bright sun breaking through the bleak landscape. It’s kind of a sad sight, depressing even.

As I watch, I see our friend has returned—a beautiful blue jay who flits about and perches on a brittle limb of one of the small trees in the yard in the middle of the driveway. I think to myself he must be lonely because I never see him with any other feathered friends. Yet here he is, seemingly joyful to have the tree all to himself. It is a welcome sight to see such beauty in the midst of ugly. Let’s be honest—who has framed pictures of dead nature proudly adorning their walls? No, we like to hang the pretty of nature—the colorful array of a mountain range at the height of the fall season, or bright sunny days in summer. Not many would opt for the dreary, cold, grey scene of winter—at least not without some pretty snowfall glistening in the cold day’s sun.

For quite some time now, I have been considering the word “hope.” The word intrigues me. We think of the word as something that we very much want to happen, but have no certainties about whether or not what we hope for comes true. The word “hope” in the Bible can mostly be used to mean “wait.” I personally “hope” in the return of Jesus—that is, I eagerly wait for it. I believe it IS a certainty, a guarantee, and that is why I have “hope.”

And so I consider the blue jay once more. This small, seemingly insignificant creature grants me something of which I am in need daily: hope. His presence is the promise of spring that is coming. The trees will not always be so bare, and the grass will not always look so withered, nor the contrast of his bright blue feathers so stark against the greys and browns behind him. The leaves will return, the flowers will blossom, the grass will grow greener, and in time, more feathered friends will fill the branches. We are promised seasons in Scripture. Seasons in nature, seasons of life. Even though the sky is grey, and the trees seem lifeless, there really is life taking place beyond what we can see. There is sun beyond the clouds. There is life within the trees getting ready to break forth. There is hope. Not the kind of hope that is desired but unsure. The kind that is a certain promise of the coming newness spring will bring.

Living life in the midst of what sometimes feels like a never-ending winter, we are promised “spring,” the newness of life. The deadness of this life will be done away with, and our world will be recreated with the stamp of a Hope that never dies. It is not yet here, but it is coming. In fact, there are many recreations along the way that remind us of this very hope. Funny that a simple blue jay can bring about such thoughts. How thankful I am for his spray of color this morning. I hope to see him again tomorrow.

What signs remind you that spring is coming and that give you hope for your special needs journey. Leave a comment!

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Photo Credit: Ron Bird at www.freedigitalphotos.net