Welcoming Seasons of Change

Yesterday Greg and I went hiking with our dogs. I love walking through the woods during Autumn because it reminds me of the seasons of life; there is such beauty all around me yet, I know winter is coming. Gone are the warm breezes of summer and the smell of fresh mowed grass. Gone are the evenings watching lightening bugs flick on and off as they search for one another in a sort of silent Marco Polo game. Their glow is replaced sunlight streaming through hues of orange and red and gold, clinging to tree limbs before finally releasing their grip on life and falling softly to the earth. The air is crisp now, the wind blows a bit stronger and instead of soft grass underfoot I hear the crunch of fallen leaves. These changes remind me that life is full of change. Just as God set the rhythm of seasons in nature, so too the Lord establishes seasons in our lives. Sometimes we celebrate new life bursting forth with excitement and anticipation of a future that is bright and full of potential. Other times we settle into the warm comfort of friends and family and a set pattern of work and relaxation. But then comes fall. The time when all that seemed new and promising, all that was familiar and comforting, begins to change. It seems to ebb away as we feel the cold of winter sleep creeping into our life. Yet even during these changes, even when winter arrives, there is rest; there is peace. Our Lord doesn't leave us when the nights grow long. There remains the promise of anew life, of a new year, a new spring that will once more break into our world with joy and potential!

Where do you find yourself today? What season are you in? Remember that no matter what time of year it is for you, Jesus is with you whether rejoicing or mourning he remains. Just as the seasons flow one into another, so our lives continue on dancing to the rhythm of the Lord.