"For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land." (Song of Solomon 2:11-12)

On the last day of March, I escaped outside for about a half an hour to go running between downpours. Its been raining for days now. While I'm deeply thankful that its not snow, the rains have come in full force and had me scurrying back under the covers in hopes of sunshine.

The age old saying is that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. And then people go on to say, April showers bring May flowers. The folks who made up the first saying obviously did not live in New England... the folks who made up the second saying, maybe.

On the bright side, the flowers are coming up around here in Boston finally. While the colors of tiny petals are yet to be seen, bright green shoots are emerging from over saturated ground. There is hope.

Several of my friends are quite pregnant (or were quite pregnant). I had one friend give birth last week and another who is due any moment. I have heard these two women as well as several other of my friends who are carrying children, talk about the expectancy, the impatience, the panic of not being quite ready, all mixed up in their hearts and heads.

That feeling of expectancy sits with me as I write this entry. Sunny days and warm weather are so close at hand. I'm getting married in June and the next couple of months bring all the craziness and joy that that offers. I'm applying for jobs, discerning my call(s) of ministry, even doing the prep work to open an etsy store this summer.

As my family and friends can tell you, I struggle most of the time being patient. I pray that in this beautiful time of deep expectancy in my life, in the lives of my friends and family, in the world, that I and others can be appreciative of the moments along the way. I pray that I can remember to stop and find joy in the green shoots poking their way up out of the ground even though I can't wait to see the flowers.

When I was in California, we sang a song that went like this:

I'm going let life move me.

I'm going let life stir me deep

I'm going let life wake me

From this ancient sleep.

I'm going laugh all my laughter

I'm going cry all my tears

I'm going love the rain as deeply as the sun when it clears.