“As she talks, her lips breathe spring roses: I was Chloris who am now called Flora.” In his Metamorphoses, this is how Ovid introduces his readers to the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, Flora. She used to be an island nymph before becoming the goddess Flora.

Although spring is not my favorite season, it does occupy a special place in my heart. I was born in September, which is the first month of spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

When I was a kid, I suffered terribly from being allergic to dust and humidity. Growing up in Lima, an extremely dusty city where the humidity can easily reach 90 percent, my life was miserable during the winter months. From autumn all the way to mid-spring, I was constantly borderline sick.

Last spring, I was coming out of a very depressive state. It was my second semester of college, and I was seriously struggling to adapt.

College was harder than I expected. From the end of January through the end of March, I felt very depressed.

Working through my emotional baggage and skewed perceptions about my identity and self-worth only made things worse. I felt defeated, and I let my perfectionistic tendencies drain me.

I emerged from the winter feeling physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted. But through those late winter and early spring months, I underwent a metamorphosis of sorts.

Even in the midst of my pain, I was inexplicably drawn to God. I experienced a deep process of renewal, and realizing that change was indeed possible, I finally had hope again.

When we go through rough times, we undergo a transformational process, a metamorphosis. The person you are now is not the person you were a year ago. I know this is true because last spring was a time of renewal for me.

By nature, spring is a time of rebirth. Although our culture often associates new beginnings with New Year’s, for me it makes more sense to view spring as the prime time to renew ourselves. Although we are constantly changing, negative memories resurface.

But thankfully our past does not matter anymore. Just as spring makes all things new, so does Christ renew us. In Revelation 21:5, Christ says, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

We just observed the most important celebration on the Christian calendar, Easter. While most people associate Easter with colorful eggs and fluffy rabbits, this holiday finds its significance in nothing but Christ’s resurrection.

The event on which the history of the universe hinges allows us to be transformed day by day.

Be encouraged. Just as Chloris was metamorphosed into Flora, so we are being transformed into something better and more beautiful.

And most importantly, the power for any type of lasting spiritual metamorphosis, is rooted in Christ’s Resurrection. So when you think of spring, think of it as a time for personal renewal, a time of metamorphosis.