Here in western South Dakota we have probably not seen the last of the snow yet this year, but the early onset of Spring weather has certainly been a delightful and welcome turn of events.  This is a particularly suited time to reflect on the miracle of renewal.  Here is a quote from Rabbi David A. Cooper who, as a renowned teacher of meditation, is an active student of the world’s great spiritual traditions.  He is the author of many books, including Entering the Sacred Mountain (Bell Tower), The Heart of Stillness (Bell Tower),Silence, Simplicity, and Solitude (Bell Tower), andRenewing Your Soul (HarperSanFrancisco).

The mind . . . experience[s] each moment as it unfolds. It experiences reality in its own unique way, coloring incidents with its own conditioning, its predilections, its judgments, desires, dislikes, and so forth. Still, we experience life as we see it, in a wide variety of happenings. When our minds try to explain how things happen and why things happen, we come up with many ideas. If an event goes beyond anything that fits our natural way of seeing things, we put it into a category of a miraculous happening.

Actually, a great deal of life is inexplicable, and miracles abound. Life itself is a miracle. The ordinary happenings of everyday experiences—our health, our relationships, our food, our shelter—these abundances are enormous. Usually we do not fully recognize the nature of these small miracles until one of them disappears. Once gone, however, we suddenly realize how casual and nonchalant we are about the necessities of life that nurture us and protect us every day.

In times of stress it is difficult to remember and be grateful for all of the many miracles in our daily lives.  But every day – and every moment – is a chance for a new start.  Spring is all around us.  Let’s enjoy the miracle!

To further help you enjoy Spring renewal, I’d like to plug a new online magazine called “Black Hills Simple Life” edited by Michelle Grosek and Scottie Bruch.  Check it out!  I think you’ll really enjoy it.