Fall can be a really beautiful time in nature, all the leaves start turning from green to red, yellow, and orange. The temperature becomes a little cooler making outside excursions more tolerable. For some, it is the beginning of their favorite sport and tailgating. Regardless, of whether we like fall or not, whether we embrace the new season or try to hide away from it… every year fall will arrive.
Fall generally signals to us that change is coming! The beautiful new colors on each leaf, let us know that it is about time for them to let go and descend gracefully to the ground. This season in our lives can represent a time of transition in some form or fashion. Now, for some change can be a hard thing, while others take it in stride, excited for what it can become in the future. Regardless of whether we accept change or not, change is bound to come, just like fall and the transition of the leaves.
Change can come in different forms. Parents can experience it when their children decide it is time to move out or when family dynamics are no longer the same. For some, this season may start with a medical or a health issue that no one saw coming; a diagnosis that will alter life as they know it. Maybe after thirty years, your job is shutting down and you must figure out what is next at a later stage of life. Old leaves transitioning to a newfound position, off the tree!
Well, as in life and nature, we can have spiritual seasons of fall where change is necessary. Maybe you have been in the same ministry since shortly after you gave your life to Christ and now you feel the Lord leading you away to something else. It could be that a brother or sister in Christ, who is your go-to person, gets the call to move to another state or maybe even a mission field on the other side of the world. Maybe your fall looks like a season of struggling in your faith trying to figure out the harder parts of life and how to make peace of it all with the Saviour.
Fall isn’t meant to rock our world to the point of despair but throughout scripture, the Bible teaches that God is the God of creation, He wants to do a new thing in our lives but that can only happen when we are willing to let go of a few things. We learn that old things pass away and behold all things become new and we love that all brand new but we don’t always like the change it takes to achieve. We get excited for the Spring aspect of the new, but we must also go through the pass away part too!
If the tree had a voice, I’m sure it would be sad to see all of its foliage fall to the ground, but I’m confident that the time of rest and relief from all that weight dropping to the ground can be refreshing for the tree at the same time. We must let go of who we believe we are and what we think we are supposed to be doing, in order for the Lord to lead us in all the things that He has for our lives. It is okay to mourn the falling away as long as we don’t long for what we used to have rather than celebrate all that the Lord is doing now. We must learn to look ahead at the beauty of where we are going which will keep us from staring at the past and what is no more.
Now unto Him, that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, - Jude 1:24
Just because we are in the spiritual season of fall does not mean we are going to fall. When our circumstances catch us off guard and it seems like all our leaves are falling from the tree, God still has us. The tree still stands even though it is barren for a time. God will keep us from falling if we are putting our trust in Him. Spend some time in the Word today allowing the Holy Spirit to minister to you.
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