Spring is God's way of saying, 'One more time!'

Robert Orben, with words both light and luminous, once declared: “Spring is God’s way of saying, ‘One more time!’” At first glance, this phrase glimmers with humor, a gentle jest about the cycles of nature. Yet within its simplicity beats a deeper truth: that life, though it falters in winter, though it bows beneath the frost, is always renewed. Spring is not merely a season of blossoms and warmth—it is the eternal promise of rebirth, the divine whisper that no matter how many endings we endure, beginnings will always return.

The origin of this thought lies in the natural rhythm of the earth itself. Since the dawn of time, humanity has feared the cold silence of winter, when crops die, rivers freeze, and trees stand barren as skeletons. Yet with the coming of spring, the world is remade: buds burst, streams sing, and fields awaken. To those who lived close to the soil, this renewal was no mere coincidence, but a sacred covenant between Creator and creation. Orben, though a humorist, clothed this ancient reverence in playful words: God, ever merciful, gives us not just one chance, but countless chances—“one more time.”

Consider how history has seen this truth unfold in the lives of nations and people. After the long darkness of the Second World War, when Europe lay shattered, spring came not only in the turning of the seasons but in the rebuilding of cities, the rekindling of hope, the renewal of peace. Out of ashes, life stirred once more. This was humanity’s “one more time,” when fields were replanted, schools reopened, and laughter returned to the streets. Spring, in its divine rhythm, had mirrored the resilience of the human soul.

On a more personal scale, think of the story of Nelson Mandela. After twenty-seven years behind the bars of Robben Island, he might have grown bitter, withered, and cold like a winter tree. Yet when freedom finally dawned, he emerged not broken but renewed, ready to lead his people into reconciliation rather than revenge. His life was a springtime of the spirit, proof that even after decades of darkness, the human heart can blossom again. Truly, God whispered to him, “one more time.”

This quote also speaks to the daily lives of ordinary men and women. How often do we feel that we have reached the end—that failure has taken root, that grief has robbed us, that opportunities are gone? Yet just as the earth itself sleeps in winter and rises in spring, so too can our lives. Every dawn is a miniature spring; every new chance, every fresh start, is God’s assurance that the story is not yet finished. Spring is more than a season; it is a symbol of resilience, of mercy, of the eternal cycle of renewal.

The lesson, then, is this: never believe that endings are final. Every failure can be followed by growth, every sorrow by joy, every winter by spring. When life strips you bare, remember the trees; when your hope freezes, remember the rivers. What seems like death is often only dormancy, waiting for the warmth of grace to awaken it.

Practically, we must train our eyes to see renewal even in hardship. When trials come, instead of despairing, say to yourself: this is my winter, but spring will come one more time. Plant seeds of patience, cultivate gratitude, and trust that in due season, they will sprout. Encourage others in their winters, reminding them that life is never finished, that God’s mercy is infinite in chances.

So let Orben’s words echo as both comfort and challenge: “Spring is God’s way of saying, ‘One more time!’” Do not surrender to despair, for renewal is woven into the fabric of creation. Rise each time you fall, rebuild each time you are broken, and trust that no winter lasts forever. For as surely as blossoms follow frost, the Creator whispers to each of us: “Begin again—one more time.”