Signs of hope

A Northern Hemisphere Friday Five from Songbird this week, quoting one of my all time favourite scripture passages with a geographically inclusive invitation to reflect. Thanks Songbird.
¹¹¹²¹³My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Song of Solomon 2:10-13

In the late, late winter, as the snow begins to recede here in Maine, we begin to look almost desperately for signs of spring, signs of hope that the weather has turned and a new day is on the horizon. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, Easter and Spring twine inextricably, the crocuses and daffodils peeking through the Earth as we await the risen Christ.

Share with us five signs of hope that you can see today or have experienced in the past.

1. Gentle rain refreshing the parched earth
2. Brilliant purple flowers on our 'Lent tree' (a eucalypt but I don't know it's name)
3. Niece and partner planning their marriage next month
4. Whitney's blog of daily grace
   
5. Cheryl's blog of raw reality and signs of hope
   

Bonus: And in relation to that scripture - since reading this in Maurice Andrew's commentary they have a special place in my heart. He writes "Marvin Pope writes that the sound of the cooing of the turtledoves, which returned to Palestine in early April, was a sure sign of spring." (italics mine). In the midst of the devastation that so many in our local, national and international communities face today, I do hope and pray that there will be not only signs of hope but sure signs of hope. Sacramental somehow.