Enjoying Autumn

Autumn seems like a dreary season. Damp and cool, the days grow shorter, and darkness descends well before bedtime. Plants and trees begin to wilt and turn brown, ushering in the death of winter. I often forget that autumn also is a season of bounty and splendor. Farmers gather in their harvests, and trees display vibrant shades of crimson, orange, and gold. Pumpkins, squash, apples, and pears fill autumn with sweetness and spice. How wise of the Creator to bestow autumn with brilliance and bounty, one last hurrah before the winter freeze! He gives a season of plenty to provide for the barrenness of the months ahead.

So many times in my own life, a "mountaintop experience" precedes a long period of trials. That season of goodness contrasts sharply with the difficult days that follow it, and I often wonder why the vibrant and showy times cannot last forever. Perhaps that season of excitement and splendor prepares me for the winter in my life. The harvest of fruit that I reap in such times provides nourishment and encouragement for my spirit during the season of barrenness.

I am learning that autumn is a season both of delights and preparation. Now, when the colors in my life become dazzling, I know to store up truths about the brilliance and goodness of my Creator to feast on during the times of trial that surely will come. But, I have learned one other important lesson.

The autumn harvest also produces seeds, and although they lie dormant through the frost, the seeds of autumn burst forth into new life at the first sign of spring. What a blessing to know that the seeds of faith scattered in the fall survive the cold and produce life once again!

So, now, instead of simply dreading autumn as the precursor to a long, dreary winter, I rejoice in the bounty and beauty God has given me to sustain me through any hard times ahead.