Spring has come early to Wyoming this year.  And I honestly haven’t known what on earth to do with it.

I can still vividly recall our first Wyoming spring 16 years ago.  The one I longed for and thought would never arrive.  It was May, and the trees were still leafless silhouettes, the kids’ small frames still padded with winter coats.

I inoculated myself against Spring Fever that year.

When newcomers to this part of the country express their desire for spring in February, I just shake my head knowingly.  Winters are long in Wyoming.  April IS the snowiest month here, after all.  Give them a year or two of disappointment and they’ll learn.

Too many early winters and late springs can make one a bit jaded.

Spring can be quite the tease.  When she sauntered into town the first week of March, I stoically ignored her flirtations, keeping my snow boots and sweaters close at hand.  But for once she actually stuck around.  After nearly a month of disbelief, I’ve finally been coaxed out of hibernation, reluctantly persuaded by her persistent peace offerings of greening grass, budding trees, and glorious sunshine.

I’m wearing sandals today.

Life can be disappointing.  We try to shield ourselves from hurt, wrapping our hearts in bulky layers to protect them from the bitter chill of unfulfilled desires.  “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me,” becomes our unspoken mantra of distrust.  But what we sacrifice in the process is a sense of expectancy and hope.  The heart that suppresses its longings, to guard itself from disappointment, becomes deadened, cold.  Like the winter snow pack, it, too, needs to thaw.

Let’s not become so jaded by past disappointments that we are numb to life’s surprises.  Let’s not become so distrustful that we are unable to embrace God’s unexpected gifts.  Let’s fling the door open, venture outside and experience the new things that He has for us.

Because sometimes…spring comes early.  Even in Wyoming.