More from Susan Thogerson Maas

I have always loved springtime. Daffodils push their way up from the ground and open their bright blossoms. Buds on flowering trees burst open, covering the branches in cheery pink puffs. All around, so many different shades of green brighten the once-gray landscape. It’s a time of new growth, and it makes me feel more alive.

After holing up indoors during the cold, wet winter, I love to get outside. I head down to our little woods to see if the tart oxalis has sprouted or if the trilliums have bloomed. And then there are chores to do—fruit trees to prune, along with grapes, blueberries, and our huge laceleaf maple. (One day I will figure out how to prune it so it keeps its graceful shape, instead of turning into a giant mound of leaves in the summer.) There’s also the vegetable garden to plan and plant. And my husband goes out mowing our half acre of grass, cutting up fallen trees for next winter’s firewood, and hauling manure—our neighbor has sheep and goats, so we have a ready supply of fertilizer—to our garden.

Spring is a good reminder that my inner life also needs tending. I can plan more time to work on my middle-grade novels and write new devotionals. I’ll remind myself to take time to read the Bible and try to improve my prayer life. Our church is starting a new group study; that can help invigorate my spiritual life. I can look for new ways to get closer to God and to serve others—and to speak words of grace into the lives of those around me.

Spring is a time of hope and new life. It’s no wonder Easter, the ultimate message of new life, comes in the spring.