Spring is indeed a time of palpable and visible miracles, but then again so are the other seasons of the year. Crocuses rocket out of the ground not long after overnight snowfalls, robins and northern flickers contest favorite spots on lawns for emerging worms and insects, and it’s easier for most of us humans to wake up with the sunrise, and stay up a bit past sunset again.

Saint Augustine had it right when he observed that

“Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature”.

It’s a dangerous tendency to think we know it all.

Ditto for thinking we’re fine to go it alone in this world, to leave our thinking, free will, and decision-making to so-called “experts”, to wash our hands of making a firm decision or commitment to change, to surrender or give up, to crawl into a hermitizing hide-a bed of apathy and despair, you name it.

Miraculously, nature shows us that nearly everything depends on chance, on timing, on inspired action or intuition, on recognizing patterns, cycles, flows and opportunities. It also reveals how much we are not meant to do and be and live this thing called life alone-we all have an important role to play, and we are all part of the natural community.

Nature’s a risk taker-we are hard-wired to be and do the same.

The rewards are of risk-taking are universally uncertain and unknowable, yet the risks of not changing or evolving portend a death knell for all of us.

We stop growing. We dig in tenaciously, hoping someone or something else will change, yet ironically and miraculously, our entire world changes once we allow ourselves the miracle of seeing and experiencing things differently.

Nature does that for all of us, gladly, willingly and unconditionally. Nature doesn’t seen to have favorites or to take sides.

What’s the true cost of not being connected to nature’s wisdom, encouragement, support, and infinite wellspring of creativity and possibilities?

What miracles are we missing out on in life because we perceive and believe we’re too busy, there’s not enough time, the timing’s not right, the money’s not there, or we  need someone’s permission before we permit and commit ourselves to changing?

All you need is to allow yourself a tiny shift in perception, hope and belief. Once you take that leap, once you make an unwavering commitment, nature will always be there to meet, greet and support you, no matter where your feet are.