Here, spring means you never know what kind of weather today will bring. One morning I'll wake up to a blizzard blowing its icy breath through my open window. Walking to school I'll see yellow flowers laced with frost, and grass peeking through the snow. I don't worry though. I know that another day or two will bring back my glorious sunshine and all will be right with the world. Some days are simply grey. I'm often reminded of how bitter wind can be and find myself dreaming of the days back in Kohala, on the north shore of the Big Island, when the salty breeze was a welcome treat.
But not today. Today is perfect.Today is everything that we dream spring should be.
As I sit here in the grass, soaking up the sun, I feel so blessed. Life has thrown me a lot of curve balls - I've had my share of blizzards in the spring. But it's the flowers poking through that remind me to hold on: for days like this are what make life more than worth it.
Of course it's easy to be grateful when the sun is shining, both literally and metaphorically speaking. The trick is remembering amid the storms of life, that the sun will shine again. Grass will grow. Flowers will bloom. Some times they're waiting, just under the snow.
I love my home. The weather may be crazy and completely unpredictable, but it serves as an amazing reminder to me. I've learned to be grateful for the weather, no matter what it is. There is a beauty to every season. Now, I'm learning to be thankful for what ever seasons I may be passing through in life. I believe there must be something beautiful that can come from each of them as well. While in Hawai'i, serving in the western side of Honolulu I saw rainbows every day. It was the perfect place for the Lord to teach me a lesson. I learned that Father in Heaven never sends a storm without a rainbow close behind. Once I learned that, I was sent to Hilo, on the east side of the Big Island. It was there that I heard President Uchtdorf teach the importance of being grateful for storms.
How much of life do we miss waiting to see the rainbow, before thanking God that there is rain? Being grateful in times of distress does not mean we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges. (President Uchtdorf, General Conference April 2014, "Grateful in Any Circumstance")Strange concept, being grateful for storms; but that's what I've been thinking about on this perfect spring day. I love spring. And I am so thankful for today. I pray that I can be thankful for every day, because no matter what the weather, it is one more day God has granted me here on Earth.
