Apricity

 The last two days we've had blue skies and sunshine. 

When those days string together they lose their magic.  But growing up in the Pacific Northwest, and now living in Northern Indiana, the warmth of that sunshine is a stark contrast to the weeks of grey overcast that winter brings.

And when that happens you can feel the collective hope in the air.

More smiles.  Lighter steps. The heavy bundles of winter wear shed for jackets, not necessarily because of the temperature but because of the warmth absorbed by closing eyes and tilting your head upward toward the radiance of the sun. 

Mary Schmich wrote about this phenomenon in the Chicago Tribune last week.  She taught me a new, but very rarely used word. 

Apricity. It means "the warmth of sun in winter."

I like the sound and feel of that.  

Perhaps one could say that Jesus Christ also brings apricity.  Do we not all desire the warmth of the Son in the winters of our lives?

He brings a breath of fresh air to the tired and weary.  As we raise our heads toward him we can feel his warmth in spite of our cold, shivering weeks of gloom we've endured.  He makes anything feel possible, and through His grace it is!