Autumn

Autumn is here.  There have been hundreds (maybe thousands) of poets who have written odes to its splashes of crimson and brilliant yellow leaves.  Every aspect of Fall has probably been explored in one way or another.

It doesn't change the fact that it is beautiful.

Looking out of the windows of our home, I see the colors of the woods that surround us.  I can see clearly that there is loveliness in every season and Fall is no exception. 

This is God's plan.

After having lived through forty-three Autumns (I can only remember about thirty-nine of them), I know something else.  This season won't last.

The reds and yellows of the leaves will soon be replaced by bare branches and mounds of brown leaves in my yard that someone (hopefully my children) will need to rake into piles.  Autumn's beauty is only for a season.

This too is part of God's plan.

I am afraid that all too often I miss the beauty of the season I am in.  In my mind I think it will be around for longer, or I am just looking forward to the next season.  It's awfully easy in the middle of winter to wish for spring, but the most joyful people are those who can enjoy the season they are living in at present.

This is true for more than just the weather and the leaves.  Most of life is characterized by seasons.  There are seasons of school and having children and eventually, maybe even having grandchildren.  The most important thing is to treasure today and see the beauty of the present rather than wish for what tomorrow holds.

It will arrive far sooner than we like.