How Walking the Dog Inspired My Spiritual Life

On one of the first warm days this season as I was walking my dog, it hit me: How cool is it that Lent is this time of year? I've never thought about it until this year: Lent begins in winter and ends in Spring. Seeing color popping up all over gave me inspiration. I took a good look at the trees: they look dead, but after taking a closer look, you realize that they are coming back to life, first by the buds that will grow into leaves and flowers.

We see color popping up in the most unusual places. I think we should see that in our lives God pops up when we least expect it.

Spring is a time for us to wake up and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. What was once sleeping or dormant is now bursting into life with all of the colors in the palette. Just as the trees and the flowers and even the weeds are coming to life with color, so should our spiritual life. We've made it through ordinary time and are making our way through Lent, so now is the time to start awakening.

With spring comes storms just as with our spiritual life we will have storms. Some may be rough and some not as rough as the others, but they will happen and we just have to trust in God that we will be safe. I think it's a beautiful thing that Lent starts in winter & ends in Spring because with the blooming of the spring flowers, so our hearts bloom for our Lord.

If the weeds can produce beautiful flowers then surely I, being the miserable sinner that I am, can also produce something beautiful. God gives us that chance to repent and to have our souls become beautiful again.

Spring is a time of renewal: The earth wakes up and is renewed. The animals start the renewal of a new generation.

I would encourage you to get out as soon as it's warm enough in your neck of the woods and take a walk. Take is slooooow. I'm usually all about getting around the park with the dog so I can get my 30 minutes in and be done with it. I am so thankful that I took the time when I started this post to take it slow and look...really look at what is going on around me. It is truly a wondrous thing, made more wondrous when putting it in the context of Lent and just how beautiful nature coinciding with the liturgical calendar is. I'm pretty sure it's no accident!