When the Thanksgiving leftovers are still good, but risky.
When the children keep on sleeping with the sun and I rejoice in my newfound productivity.
Christmas, which commercially has pretty much been in full swing since August, majorly ramps up its intensity.
Autumn is over.
I was thinking the other day about why fall is my favorite time of year. Of course, there are plenty of responses to that question, but primarily I love it because it's so short. When you consider our societal calendar over the official one, autumn truly is fleeting.
In Sacramento, we are still perfecting our cannonballs and BBQ recipes far into the depths of September. And then, wherever you live, Christmas really starts to make itself known in early November. Autumn is with us for a heartbeat.
I love winter, too. I adore Christmas with it's carols, cookies and hot cocoa. I'm a huge fan of glitter and gaud, so Christmas sits well with me.
But if I could compare the way God desires us to live our lives to a season, autumn wins hands down. Especially since it's now once again over and gone, it serves as a poignant teacher.
Fall knows its time is short, so it takes advantage of each day to be radiant and lovely. The bright display of leaves, the comforting breeze of a brisk day, the way it so graciously steps aside for the attention monger the holiday season has become, allowing Christmas wreaths and pre-Black Friday sales to eclipse Thanksgiving, the day autumn is meant to shine its brightest.
As my children miraculously slept/remained quiet long past 6am this morning, I took in my son curled up near the Christmas tree reading a chapter book. I marveled at how my daughter's baby hair now falls down past her shoulders in sweet blonde curls that display how the infant is gone and big girl status is no longer pending.
My time on this earth is short. Am I going to spend each day being bold with the colors of my faith, refreshing in the way I act and gracious toward others in all circumstance - or will I hang on to a vincible summer, hot with anger and distorted by drowning waves of regret?
Will I be thankful, silently resilient until I've given every inch of beauty I've received? Or will I jump straight ahead to winter, developing an icy heart and creating a blinding flurry of a storm for those around me?
With the changing seasons, I am committing my spirit to remain an autumn. I want Christ through my life to be seen as bright, beautiful and a limited time offer, instead of just another someone waiting to burn us, drown us or freeze us out in our times of weakness and failing.
Autumn leaves us quickly, and so do our chances to make a true, loving impact on this world. I don't want to waste a single day.
I believe if you add Jesus to the mix, Spring Time is also a contender. It's a most spiritual time as the "coming of the sun" with the equinox adds a beautiful mystic feel to the season. And the beauty of the celebration of the Christ rising from death and into the light of God is deeply felt and enjoyed by those who are aware in an inner way
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