Staring Into Autumn's Eyes
“God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.” – Martin Luther
Hello Dear Friend,
We’ve entered into that time of year again. Summer, it seems, is crying out, “No, they aren’t ready for my season to end. I’m not ready to let go yet!” Autumn responds to the plea by sending out a ghost of change in the wind. Yes, it seems like Summer and Autumn are currently in a battle trying to outwit each other and we are the innocent bystanders caught in in the middle wondering what season we’re in – is it still Summer or have we entered into Fall?
There are those, like myself, who love everything about Autumn and cannot wait for the dog days of Summer to come to a close and give way to the next season. We enjoy the chill found in the cooler mornings and evenings, the sound of dried leaves crunching beneath our feet and the smell of campfires as we bid Summer farewell and welcome the changing of the season. But then there’s those who want to hang on to Summer for as long as possible. They cringe when spotting descending leaves, complain about the days getting shorter and whine when there’s the tiniest nip in the air. Instead of embracing the change they cling to what they’ve enjoyed for the past several months.
Each calendar season has lessons to teach us if we’re willing to look for them and Autumn has a way of teaching us how beautiful change can be as the trees show us how lovely it is when we decide to let go. Isn’t it funny how a season filled with such magnificent color and beauty is really a season that represents a great divide in nature but in spite of her fate she shows us how liberating it can be to let go?
The original Hebrew root word for “be still” doesn’t actually mean to be still or to be quiet. This statement means to let go. So, when the Bible tells us in Psalm 46:10 to be still and know that He is God; God is really telling us to let go. Let go and know that He is God. I know, letting go is a lot easier said than done, isn’t it? After all, letting go means that we are no longer in control... Right? Wrong.
I know it’s hard to let go. We all carry things from our past that we have never really learned to let go of and leave behind. But letting go isn’t a sign of weakness, rather it shows just how strong we can be. Letting go doesn’t mean that we’re admitting defeat or submitting to something or someone else. Letting go frees us from the bondage that is currently trying to define us. In doing so, we rid ourselves of the things cluttering up our life allowing the room to let things grow.
Staying Beautiful
“Restore in me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” – Psalm 51:12 (NKJV)
This week was particularly trying and honestly left me feeling weary, broken, kicked down, and defeated. My faith all but failed me, leaving me so down that I questioned why I even pray. But in God's timely fashion, He spoke to me in my daily devotionals this morning regarding trials. In truth we face trials all the time especially as a follower of Christ. Honestly, if you are doing Christianity right, you're either coming out of a storm or your headed into one. The danger I've recently found myself in though, is that its these trying situations that are weighing me down to a point where it's becoming painfully obvious to myself and probably those close to me, that I’m not happy the more weight that's put on my back the more anger and frustration I find myself carrying.
Joy, its the first thing the enemy comes to steal. If he can get that then he has a far easier time entering into other areas of your life adding a trail of darkness behind as he goes. As you might have guessed, I've allowed him to take my joy. It happened slowly, little by little, day by day so I didn't really notice. But here's the thing, I serve a God who is the God who provides and He provides beautifully especially in the darkest points of my life - its in those times when His light shines the most.
God's desire is for us to remain anchored in Him. In order to remain strong and stable in Him we have to let go. Let go of anger, bitterness and frustration – hell, let out a scream if that would help. Remove the unhealthy habits and relationships that are eating away at your precious time and energy. Let go of the past and of the things you can’t change. Let go of the hurt, the sorrow, and the pain that you’ve been carrying. Push the negative thoughts and depression aside, let the truth of His word quiet the noise.
Holding steadfast in God can be challenging for sure but He promises to never desert you. How do we work with the Lord to find our restoration? We start by letting go. Everything that's been taken can be restored through the healing power of God. I'm not sure about you but lately I’ve been hearing that gentle whisper to let go and to let God restore me.
Even nature knows the importance of letting go and taking a time out to rest and be restored. The sun lets go of the day and sets into the horizon to give way to the night. If it didn’t, we wouldn’t get to experience a new day. The trees shake off their dying leaves and broken branches to let go of what they no longer need to allow time mend and grow stronger. Butterflies know they are no match for the rain so instead of fighting it they let go and rest until the rain stops so that it wont damage their wings.
In Autumn we see the colors of the falling leaves colliding against the wind like brushstrokes on a canvas. Although baren, Winter shows us how breathtaking the world can look when blanketed in the purity of the snow just as the dawn breaks. In the Spring, the birds carry a sweet melody as the flowers and tree buds seem to lunge forth to announce the beauty of rebirth. And in the warmth of the Summer sun we hear the rushing roar of the ocean waves during beach vacations. You see, each season has its own special series of shouts of praise towards her Creator. We can learn from nature and express our gratitude to that same Creator by letting go, trusting and praising Him in the middle of every season and ever storm we face.
So today, I'm encouraging myself mostly, to make a list of all the areas where I need to let go and surrender to God so that my restoration process can begin. It's time to let go and make room for healing. I want my focus to be on expressing gratitude towards my God and my Creator as He's stretching, shaping, nurturing, maturing, and restoring me into the best version of myself that I could possibly be. No matter what storms I have to go through in the process I'm trusting God and I'm letting go to let Him shape me into the person He's uniquely designed.
With love,
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