I noticed it today for the first time.

The first buds on the dogwood, the first tiny green leaves on the bush near the fence. Spring is here.

There was something sacred about that moment. I stood, stick in hand, playing with the dog in the backyard. And those little green leaves made me stand still, made me take notice, made me look for signs of spring and newness and change and growth.

How long have they been there? I wondered.

How many times did I walk right past them, too absorbed in my own thoughts to take notice? What else have I been ignoring in my heart and life?

God is always at work in our lives. Are we taking notice? Are we looking for signs of growth and newness of life? Are we looking for those tender signs of spring in our own lives?