Spring has sprung!

Last Wednesday morning something happened I have anxiously been waiting for. As spring approaches I watch the sides of the hills around here, especially towards Georgia over the waters of Arrowhead Mountain Lake, and look for signs of color. But not green like you might expect; I watch for red. Oh, sure, the green of the evergreens is always there, and the green of the hills will come ("Green Mountain state"...hint, hint) but the first color of spring that I look for is the red of the budding leaves of the maple trees. The hills turn a distinct shade of red. It's more subtle than the shades we see in the fall, but whereas the autumn colors mean that we have only a few days left until 'stick' season and then winter, the red that comes in spring means that in a few days we'll see the world turn green once again. The red color is the first sign of hope in new life.

So too, in the Christian life red is the color of hope. The blood of Jesus was the means by which we could have hope for a new life. "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!" Romans 5:9 Every year I look for the red of the hills so I can know that spring has really come. And I look to the blood of Jesus to know that new life has started.