"Break Forth..."

Two weeks ago I snapped off a few bare twigs from our forsythia bush and put them into a jar of water.  Even though I like to do this every year in late January, it never ceases to amaze me what happens within the next two weeks...

 ...this...

 It reminds me of the powerful thought that lies within this little ditty..

The leaves are gone, 

The trees are bare, 

but next year's leaves are hiding there.

And so they are.  Within the next six weeks or so, our bush should be looking like this, as it did two years ago.

 And all over the unkempt flower beds signs of spring are relentlessly making a glorious statement...

   there is life

      there is hope

        there is joy

          there is beauty...

Just like these sweet snowdrops near our front door...

Break forth into joy, 

sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.  

  Isaiah 52:9