There is something amazing about Spring. This is not a new concept to those of us who have seen many Springs but yet each year I find more enjoyment in watching the trees bud and the daffodils arise. Growing up in San Francisco I didn’t get to experience much of this but here in The Villages, spring emerges as a miracle of life. Although we expect this cycle to repeat itself each year, we can’t make it happen. We can prepare and encourage but the natural occurrence is beyond our ability to create. Wonder is a gift. It brings us to reconsider our lives and to want to be available for the surprises that await us. So this is Lent—the season of hope and regeneration.
We find this hope in the story of the Lost Son in writings of Luke. The story is familiar. Families have difficulties and they struggle with illness, relationships and the complexities of humanity. Yet, if we can sustain ourselves through the winters of our lives and await the return of the love of those we cherish then spring will come again. During Lent we prepare for this homecoming.
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