I see the daffodils – lent 2023

It’s a sign of spring, seeing the sea of yellow as the daffodils spring up. It’s a sign that the cold of winter is moving into the warmth of summer. It’s a sign of new life, a fresh start. Using limited gardening knowledge, daffodils are planted as bulbs in September and break forth between February and April (I think – I am many things, but not naturally a gardener!) That means a minimum of 5 months in the ground doing nothing.

Well, not really nothing. In those months they are developing roots. They are growing in an essential way so they can survive before blooming into beautiful yellow flowers. From what can appear to be dead and barren ground bursts forth vibrant new life.

Growing up we used to have a wooden cross at church made from the Christmas tree. We’d strip it bare, chop it up and nail it together then put around it the different parts of the Easter story as we went through lent, things like the rooster, the silver coins and the crown of thorns. Then we would get to Easter Day and as we entered church we would be given a daffodil which we would go and tie onto the cross. We would transform the symbol of death into a thing of beauty, covering it in the flower most commonly associated with hope and new life.

So when I was talking today with a trusted friend and they said they could see daffodils, a sign if new life breaking forth, a sign of spring and an end to the winter, my mind jumped to the cross of hope.

When we are sitting in the dark and maybe it looks like we’re not doing much maybe what we are doing in is under the surface and in time it will bloom into something beautiful. Jesus died on the Friday and nothing happened, or at least nothing that could be seen. Except on Sunday Jesus was no longer in the tomb but instead was up and talking to the people he loved, so something must have been happening out of sight.

So when you see the daffodils, I hope they bring you hope. Hope in new life. Hope in changing seasons. Hope in transformation.

Hope in Jesus.