“So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.”
Deuteronomy 11:13-15 NIV
I love spring, it’s colors of green and watching for flowers to pop out of the ground. I know for many it’s the season of fresh starts. But it’s not my favorite season. Fall is my favorite.
I have always enjoyed autumn, it’s color and crisp days invigorate me. They remind me of the joy I experienced as I stepped onto the college campus I attended and had the opportunity to soak up new knowledge. That is something that really fills my cup! And for me at that time, it felt like a fresh start. I still experience the thrill of a fresh start each fall. I am currently in the autumn season of my life. To be honest, this season feels like a fresh start for me too.
God blessed me in the spring and summer. He set my feet on solid ground and despite some challenges I thrived. Sometimes the rains were brutal too. I’m so glad that during those days I had a firm foundation under me. I am so grateful that even as a child I had learned the value and the joy of memorizing his word. I walked those paths in the days before Google and a computer in your pocket. Memorized words were of great value to survive the storms that life threw my way. They provided row markers when I was feeling overwhelmed. Pointing me in the right direction.
I loved the summer days too. Days when I had a career that challenged me and served others. I loved my work. However, I worked with some difficult people. And by the time I reached my 60’s I was a bit worn, like your petunias at the end of a long, hot summer.
So, it’s fall. I’m reaping the harvest of all God has sown into my life. He has planted his word. He’s watered my heart and soul with joy and trials, and he’s provided skills I never dreamed that I would need as I embark on a new phase as a writer. If you don’t know, writers must be entrepreneurs too so they can sell their books. But somehow God saw to it that I learned many needed skills.
I love this season! I feel like I’m living on the bounty God has planted deep in my life. I am walking down all sorts of new paths but the truth is I see familiar landmarks all over the place. Like those worn and faded seed packets, I put on stakes at the end of my garden rows to mark them. It may have been so long ago that the skill was developed. It may be many years since the experience that taught me empathy or provided wisdom, but if I look closely I see that many things I thought were rainstorms were really watering the seeds that God laid down long ago. It is a satisfying time of life. That comes a bit unexpected. I didn’t imagine I’d be enjoying it so much. I didn’t dream that God was preparing me for this path, but I am certain that he did. God has kept his promises to me.
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