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.
The cool, crisp, frozen mornings wake you up and shout hello!—they make you feel fully alive with the call of day. And in this Michigan land, they last for many months while the Earth slowly tilts back to where the rays of sun can change the land.

But on this morn I felt the warmth.
It was strange to have the cold disappear—like someone has left who’s stayed in your home half the year. Suddenly they’re gone, and it’s extra quiet, private, and personal. You begin to rediscover everything in 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 of relaxation.

I felt the warmth on this morn,
and like sunrays of love from God, it just surrounded me.

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

60° feels like 80°, and the skin feels surprised too.
We need the hat and sunglasses.

Walking is a festival for the eyes,
as bumblebees and birds and flowers and dogs decorate the path to the park
and bring smiles to everyone.

Winters are awesome and powerful and beautiful in their own right.
They cover everything with an awesome hush of quietness
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 is on the way.

Life is like that.

Trials can be long and hard and 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 was tragic and sad, and He did not hide His deep emotions.
He told them plainly, “My heart is exceedingly sorrowful.”

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 face of all His friends,
His mother, and His own brothers.
The injustice was unspeakable.

Yet unbeknownst to us,
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,
we were given light and 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 this Good Friday,
and I saw the winter being blown away,
and I felt the spring taking over everything.

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

Just like walking into the warmth and toward the light gives my soul what I needed,
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.