I Felt the Warmth on This Morn

I Felt the Warmth on This Morn
Brent Hoover, Easter 2025

I felt the warmth on this morn!

Those cool, crisp, frozen morns wake you up and shout "Hello!"
They make you feel full-alive with the call of day!
And in this land of Michigan... they last for months and months... while the Earth slowly tilts to where the rays of sun can change the land.

But I felt the warmth on THIS morn.

It was strange! -- to have the cold disappear
like someone's left your home who stayed half the year.
Once they're gone it's quiet again.
And you discover your home again.

Today, the warmth came in a surprising way.
At 8 AM as I walked out the door
I suddenly felt different—warm, comfortable, quiet… soothed by a surprising sense that all is well in the world.

I felt the warmth on this morn.
And like sun-rays of love from God, it just surrounded me, surrounded me.

The long winter's gone, the flowers are here.
Soon leaves will pop, and the blue sky will outline
white clouds and canopies of green.
Children on bikes will play at the parks.
And life will feel like a picnic again, on the 4th of July.

60° feels like 80°, my skin knows it too.
We need the hat and sunglasses.
Walking is a festival for the eyes,
as bumblebees, birds, flowers and dogs
decorate the path to the park
and bring smiles to everyone.

Winters are awesome and powerful -- beautiful in their own right.
They cover all with an awesome hush of silence,
and force everyone to go inside for warmth.

Living in one makes people tougher and resilient,
and aware that we are actually not strong.

But as the months go on, one wonders if Spring will come, or has it forgotten?

Life is like that.

Trials can be long and hard and feel unending,
and cause you to brace against the life you’re facing.
That’s the cold winter wind.

And for many months, you stare out the window,
wondering what life would be like after winter.
But then another snow comes.

Then, one day, the sun appears.
Then another day the warmth arrives.
Then another day comes, and you’re walking to the park.

Life is like that.

For Christ, the week that Spring was tragic and sad
and He did not hide His deep emotions.
He told them plainly, “My heart is full of sorrow!" 

He prepared the last meal.
He washed their feet.
He broke the bread and poured the wine
and spoke of love and friendship.

Then He was dragged against His will to a place
where they ended His physical life in a violent way.

Tears flowed on the faces of all His friends,
His mother His half-brothers too.
The injustice was unspeakable.
Yet unbeknownst to us,
the horror of that winter was our redemption.

And days later—the resurrection.

The Son arose.
New life came.
Hope was seen.
Tears of joy filled their faces.
Unbelief turned to embraces.
Jesus alive!

We felt the warmth on that morn—
Human beings, all of us, given light and life,
hope and victory over death.

Darkness is for the dead.
Light is for the living.
Spring is for the flowers.
Our comfort has come.
New life has begun.

I opened the door and walked outside on Good Friday,
and I saw the winter being blown away,
and I felt Spring taking everything.

The kingdom of God is advancing—
and it starts with our own hearts.

Just like a walk into the warmth
and toward the light
gives my soul what I need,
so the same when we come to Him.

Sunday is here.
Sunday is coming.
Sunday will never pass.

I felt His warmth on this morn.