Earlier this week, as I prepared to go to bed, I noticed an itching at the top hem of my sock. I prefer short ankle-socks. I don’t like socks that go too far up my leg (we all have our idiosyncrasies!). So this was just above the bone of my ankle. It REALLY itched and irritated me. I looked, and sure enough, there was a small raised bump…a mosquito bite. In March. 

REALLY!?

But as I sat there feeling that oh-my-goodness-I-MUST-scratch-it itch of a newly formed bite, I began to smile. Because even though it feels ridiculously early to deal with mosquito bites, it is a sign that the times are changing. In my corner of Ontario, the weather had changed drastically in the last week or so. We’ve gone from a bitter, snow-drenched winter to days that feel like Spring. 

More than once, I’ve stepped out of my house and been shocked at the warmth. I’ve wondered if I even needed a jacket. My winter coat has been sitting on the back seat of my car, untouched, for at least a week now. I’ve been wearing runners rather than my -35C rated boots.

And now, a mosquito bite… Spring is on the move.

Which reminds me of one of my favourite lines in CS Lewis’ Narnia series – Aslan is on the move! 

Aslan is a great lion, an image of Christ, in a story that is all about sacrifice and new life. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Aslan comes to break the endless winter that the White Witch has presided over, causing suffering for all of Narnia. 

Why am I thinking about mosquito bites and Spring and Aslan? Because I’m feeling a deep need for hope right now. In all of the uncertainty and upset in our world, in all of the anger and anxiety that seems to be surrounding us, in all of the fears for dark days ahead, my soul cries out for hope.

And when my soul cries out for hope, it’s really crying out for Jesus, for God, for the presence and advocacy of the Holy Spirit.

So, I want to leave you with this short, but powerful prayer.

As we continue our Lenten journey, may we see signs of Spring (even in the small irritations of daily life), and may they remind us that Jesus is on the move. May we find our hope in the Lord. May our souls cry out for what we most need – the presence of Father, Son and Spirit – to guide us through these days.