The other day was the first day of Fall. Everyone put out their greetings for Happy First Day of Fall! I, for one, am very glad of the changing season and all for it. I much prefer the cooler weather, as I have mentioned before. But the colors are beginning to be amazing, and pictures show the beauty of changing leaves and colors all around us.
What about our own personal seasonal changes? Do we have seasonal changes? Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter? I think we do. We have times in our lives where the change might be in hiding like the winter and then as we grow in the season of our life, we see changes springing up like Spring and new life begins to show up. We blossom. Although Fall comes where we see the changes more evident, I think it’s easy to see how we can mirror the seasons in our seasons of life. What about that summer season? Well, I know that I have had times in my life where I was put on the hot seat and it got pretty warm! Fortunately, we can go the Water source for our supply to cool us down. But can you begin to see how these seasons can remind us of our personal seasons in life?
Are you in a season of change in your life right now? Do feel the cool of winter coming on and you feel like
your branches have been pruned back so far your are they losing your grip on your life right now? Maybe the fog has rolled in and you can see clearly what’s ahead.
I know for me, this last year has been a season of change in my life. However, I have come to realize that I can sometimes feel change coming on and I know I’m in for an adventure! I don’t know what is going to happen, but I know something is in the works. How do I know that? Because I have a relationship with Jesus. I know Him well enough through my relationship with Him, that I can trust Him with the change He is bringing into my life. I know it is going to enhance my life, as well as, draw me closer to Him. He has “new things” to show me. His mercies are new every morning. That means each day I am given the grace to face what my life brings, if I choose to accept it. If I sit around and feel sorry for myself because all my leaves are falling off, and I’m open and bare to those around me, or even just within ME, then I lose all the work He is quietly doing through my winter struggles. I won’t see the growth and benefit of Spring growth! Just as I like the Fall and winter and spring seasons because they are cooler, I also enjoy those personal seasons also. I have come to understand that each one has meaning for me and builds on the next; from glory to glory, as God tells us.
As I navigate through the “falling off” in my move further from my kids, grandson, and family and church family, He is drawing me closer to Him. He has given me NEW things. He has given me a new environment. He has also set me apart, to have fewer distractions. He will do that sometimes to finally get our attention. However, I believe that He has new endeavors for me to involve myself. He may be leading me to the point where He wants to do NEW things through me. Now THAT isn’t a new thing…He always wants to do new things through me. I know He works through those who are willing to be used. Now that is exciting! It’s scary at times. It’s lonely at times. But He is never separated from me, unless I separate myself from Him. He speaks through His Word, through people around me, and He may speak to another person’s heart to invite me to be involved in a “new thing”. I just need to be willing to be obedient when He gives me something to do.
So…I am looking forward to falling leaves and changing colors. Even the winter season where I can settle in on a cool evening and read or do what will grow my life through the leafless, bare branch times, and help me come out in the Spring with new thinking, new ideas, all new creative ways to live my life for Jesus, and even people to do that life with!
Here is a photography thought photo for you:
In photography editing, you can have something called a filter or preset that is used to enhance your photo. One click or maybe two, and supposedly, your picture is better. Click and done. Boom! But God isn’t a one-click-and-done kind of God. He wants to keep molding us until we go home to heaven. He adds light where it may be dark. He will give contrast in order to enhance what we see. He will give clarity so we can see clearly what He desires us to see. He can blur some of the hurtful things so they aren’t so much a part of our picture. However, I would like to suggest that you don’t set your life and thinking on a preset. You would be limiting what God wants to do in you by a click-and-done fix. Give Him full access. Let Him give you the settings. The view through His viewfinder is SO much better. He has a mega zoom lens and can see the end from the beginning. He wants a life for you better that anything you can imagine.
I would encourage you not to look at this season of Fall in the same way again after reading this post. Let the leaves fall. It’s a good thing. Remember something is falling off, so that, new growth will come. Look at this time as a time of change. Let winter come, because Spring and new growth are on the way!
Walking the journey with you…
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