Seasons

Today, even with or maybe because of temperatures in the low seventies, you can sense Fall has arrived.  It did not come according to man's calendar,, but according to nature's schedule.

The air has lost the density of summer, seeming to heighten the sounds and smells.  Often there is a faint odor of wood smoke and leaves are starting to grace the ground, rustling with movement.  At the end of our block a harvested oat field is now a gathering place for more geese than I can count.  I imagine they are making travel plans, talking about what 4 star hotels to stay at along the way! Seasons come and seasons go as a reminder that life is about moving forward.  Still, I would love to drag out Fall.  It is my favorite time of year.

In the midst of taking in all that Autumn offers, I have been porch sitting while pondering where I find myself.  Another infection requiring drugs that abuse as much as help.  Pain that has my pink tennies anticipating but not experiencing walks along the river.  Restless nights brought on by complaining joints and nerve endings.   Even though it has only been a couple of days, these familiar and unwelcome guests have left me spent.  I so dislike the return of old symptoms.

Autumn is another matter entirely.  I love the return of Fall.  Watching squirrels gather acorns.  Stopping to lift my eyes as geese fly overhead.  If they are low enough you can hear their wings beat in rhythm.  Trees are starting to share their leaves with the dry ground cover.  From our house we hear the crowds cheer the home team on in football.  And the colors?  Oh how I love the colors ~ rusts, browns, oranges, and deep reds that paint the landscape.  I am so grateful that God blessed us with the Fall season here in our corner of the world.

 God takes the heat of summer and transforms it into a brilliant season of harvest.  So it is with circumstances that entrap us in our lives. Not everything that comes to us is welcome.  Not everything we experience is beautiful.  Our own personal seasons of heat can be very trying, but God can take our intense seasons and turn them into harvest blessings as we keep our eyes on Him.  He meets us where we are at, transforms and heals us, and blesses us beyond what we can ask or think.   He brings the Harvest into our lives.