Autumn

"Of all the seasons, autumn is my favorite. There's a feel about it, a distinct and undeniable aura that surrounds it. Being a football freak, I naturally would favor autumn. But of course it's much deeper than that.

Those leaves are part of it. What color, what artistry! Crisp, frosty mornings also help. What a refreshing change from oppressively hot afternoons and sweltering nights! Then there is a helpful return to routine as school starts. And along comes Thanksgiving, a nostalgic reminder that God has indeed 'shed His grace on thee.' The firewood is cut. The pumpkins are getting bigger. Our hearts are overflowing.

Let's think of autumn as a season of reflection. Time to gain new perspective. To stroll along the back roads of our minds. To think about what. And where. And why. Such visits through the museum of memory never fail to assist us in evaluating the way we were and establishing the way we want to be. This implies change, another reason autumn seems to represent a season of reflection. It's during this season the foliage changes. And the weather changes. And the time changes. Birds make their annual journey southward. Squirrels finish storing their nuts. Salmon start their phenomenal swim back to their spawning grounds. And many of the larger animals take their final stretch before curling up for a long winter's nap. With incredible consistency, all these creatures in the natural world act out their individual pageants without external instruction or some script to follow.

Quiety, without flare or fanfare, God graciously moves upon our lives, taking us from summer to autumn, a season when He mysteriously writes His agenda on the tablets of our hearts. Patiently He waits for change to begin. Without exception, it does. And we reflect on that as well.

Has autumn arrived in your life? Think before you answer. Close your eyes for a minute or so and consider what God has been doing deep within your heart."

Charles R. Swindoll "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life" (Multnomah Press)