How Do You Respond to a Fall Season?
The past two days have finally felt like we’re settling more into the fall season in the natural. We talked about this on Sunday, but can’t you sense it with your five senses? The smells, the sights, the feeling, the sounds and definitely the tastes (#teamapple vs #teampumpkin haha!). But in the natural all around us we’re feeling the cooler temperatures, seeing different colors in the trees, and noting even more leaves falling to the ground. I’ve also noticed the last of the ice cream shops that were hanging on to get those last few customers, enticing them with their apple pie or pumpkin ice creams, have now closed up shop for the season too. Sometimes it’s easy to know when things are changing. The need for ice cream has “left the building”. People are desiring warm comfort foods to take the chill off the air. In the same way as we walk through a fall season spiritually, our whole person is looking for something different from the Lord in this season. And God is trying to help us see it. To slow down and pick up on it. If we continue to try to sell ice cream when it’s snowing, we may have missed something. Production season is slowing and God wants us to ask Him - what now Father? We may be feeling the CLOSED sign go up on an area of our life. We may be noticing areas that were once producing, starting to seem like they’re falling to the ground. Confusion can begin to set in. “Lord, what is happening? Why is this happening? Did I do something wrong? Did I miss a step?” On Sunday we encouraged you that if you are in a Fall season, to begin to enter some rest and dialogue with the Lord. A secondary piece to this is, treat this season like there is something beautiful to be found and explored. Have you noticed the Christmas decorations in virtually every store while it’s still fall? It speaks of a season coming that is FULL of anticipation and excitement. There is a gift for you in this season. In every season. “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search it out.” - Proverbs 25:2. God may be speaking in a way you’re not familiar with. He might speak in a song, on a billboard, in a whisper, in a feeling, in a movie, in peace, in a friend, and the list goes on and on. Don’t miss the opportunity in the present moment to hear God afresh and learn everything you can in this season. You may even be taking a “final exam” in something God has been speaking to you in your summer season. Use this time to reflect on what He’s done in summer and what were the main themes He was speaking to you? What were the greatest areas of growth and production? What was God blessing? Every piece of this can be important as we grow deeper in Him in this season. What Christmas tree ornaments has God hidden for you to discover? My two year old daughter, Aubrey, is learning every single moment. Sometimes it’s because we are speaking to her and teaching her verbally, helping her understand things. And sometimes, she is simply learning by exploring. Have you ever noticed that those things you learn by experience are almost way more impactful than if someone just told it to you? God knows this and He knows that sometimes it’s about spending the time and searching it out so it will become that much more settled in us because we had an encounter moment. Let God gift you something in this season and enjoy the process of searching it out. Rest and peace to you this week!
