Winter Gives Way to Spring

Only five minutes later he noticed a dozen crocuses growing round the foot of an old tree--gold and purple and white. Then came a sound even more delicious than the sound of the water. Close beside the path they were following a bird suddenly chirped from the branch of a tree. It was answered by the chuckle of another bird a little farther off. And then, as if that had been a signal, there was chattering and chirruping in every direction, and then a moment of full song, and within five minutes the whole wood was ringing with birds' music, and wherever Edmund's eyes turned he saw birds alighting on branches, or sailing overhead or chasing one another or having their little quarrels or tidying up their feathers with their beaks.

Today I am picturing this scene from C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Our Winter has been long, yet Spring is arriving. For that, I am thankful. And yet, the physical winter has been very mild this year. I am perhaps speaking more of a different type of Winter our family has been experiencing.

We have experienced a medical crisis so puzzling that numerous specialists are unable to offer diagnoses or treatments--or, at least, precious few. We have had at least 50 appointments. We have had 19 vials of blood drawn. Various tests.

While we have not given up on doctors or tests or appointments, we have had to rely daily on prayer and the strength and peace of God to get us through this time of sleepless nights and endless wondering. We have prayed for healing. At times, we have wondered how many years of Winter we would experience before Aslan would come. At times we have marched through the endless dark and cold and snow, exhausted and blind. Simply holding onto Hope.

Yet Spring is here. The cold has left. The earth has awakened from its slumber.

We do not have all our answers. We have made some unusual dietary choices of late. God has slowly led us to make some changes in this area. I now spend roughly three hours daily in the kitchen, and roughly four days weekly running to specialist's appointments. Blogging is less a part of my life now. We will soon be busy gardening. I have some topics I would like to share here. Scouting progress, gardening, our dietary adventure, some educational thoughts and more. In time.

Blessings to all my faithful readers.