The snow was finally melting away as I took my daily walk outside, quarantined to my yard and driveway. Warmth sent hints of spring through the long end of the Minnesota winter. I scrutinized my garden beds for signs of growth as I had done every day for the past two weeks, waiting for my family to be free of respiratory illness symptoms.
"Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one, and come! For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone" (Songs 2:10-11).
Then I saw them: the tips of daffodils in the narrow garden, snug beside the south facing wall, basking in the sunshine. In that moment, in the midst of our long waiting, I felt God’s love come over me. My heart surged to rejoice in the end of winter and the end to this small suffering our family was enduring. The sunlight, the melting snow, the flowers emerging from the depths of the earth were all visible signs of God’s healing love.
"The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the dove is heard in our land" (Songs 2:12).
Even now as Minnesota snow once again covers the earth in a soft white blanket, while freezing winds seek to penetrate our walls, the last week of Advent is like the coming of spring.
For we know that our Lover is coming with joy. He leaps over the hills of our troubles and gazes at us into the windows of our hearts. He calls to us to arise from our slumbering waiting and joyfully take our place beside Him and receive His love.
The winter of waiting is almost past, and He is almost here. Let us arise to meet Him as He comes this Christmas. Bring Him all of the weight of this past year—all of your joy, suffering, and work. Imagine yourself kneeling down beside His waiting manger and offer it all to Him along with your heart.
Arise, His beloved, His beautiful one, and come and see the coming Newborn King.
Let us arise to meet Him. // @susannacspencerClick to tweet
Re-read the Song of Songs.
Susanna Spencer holds a master's in Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville and is the Devotions Editor for Blessed is She. She is a freelance writer and editor and a teacher-in-training living with her philosopher husband and four kids in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She loves reading theology, attending beautiful liturgies, cooking delicious food, and casually following baseball. She is the author of the Gospel Studies including Seek His Kingdom: A Meditation on Matthew , Listen to Him: A Meditation on Mark, and Abide in His Love: A Meditation on John. She was narrator for Found: Advent With the Good Shepherd and Rescued: Lent With the Lamb of God and a contributing author and editor for our children’s devotional prayer book, Rise Up. She was the Theological Editor of the Blessed Conversations Studies. Find out more about her here.
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