The Season That Reminds Us Change Is Good

Every person has their favorite season of the year. 45% of people surveyed across America will say Autumn is their favorite season. Fall is a popular season, celebrated for Thanksgiving, beautiful colors, crisper weather, comforting foods and beverages, and cozy clothing. For many of my family members, it's the time of year for them to be out in the woods. There is just something about this time of year that feels like a fresh start. For followers of Christ, Autumn comes with the ability to teach us about Life, Death, and God.

As the summer season fades away, the autumn season brings the reality that just like the leaves change color and fall, I, too, will not last forever on this earth. That seems morbid, and maybe that escalated too quickly. It is the reality. This season reminds us why change can be good: to not miss out on opportunities for growth and learning. N. D. Wilson reminds us, "In autumn, the creativity of God hollers. Look at these things! These paper-thin solar cells that convert sunlight into acorns. They are everywhere, and they are made by God, who doesn't know how to stop creating. Autumn reminds us that there is a world of wonder." It is easy to become complacent in the world. We get into routines (not always a bad thing), and we take for granted things that are changing around us. The change around us reminds us that even when things are coming to an end, the beauty of the final journey can leave an impact on our hearts with lasting memories. How often do you walk around outside, seeing the changing colors of the leaves, still attached to branches, and they are waving in the wind? Do you recognize that in the moment, God is reaching into your soul and trying to get your attention? Do your eyes gaze over the opportunity to a moment of pause with God?

There is a promise of glory. Autumn is a time of reflection and gratitude. It reminds us of God's faithfulness and his ability to take all things, good and evil, and use them for his Glory and for our growth. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." This isn't a promise that our life will be smooth and without change. God's sovereignty and ability to manage every aspect of our lives is living proof that all things work together for good. We will face times of suffering, painful change, death, grief, and mourning. God can make those sufferings work for our good and His good. It doesn't seem like change is good in that moment. In hindsight, the darkness of painful change is an opportunity to allow God to mold our hearts and help us grow in areas where we may be weak. Did your faith strengthen? Did you learn patience (don't even pray for it, you will be put in situations to learn it)? Did you learn compassion for someone or compassion for yourself? When you look back at change, do you see how God worked in all things, not just some of them? He uses the good change and the bad change to work together, not isolating each aspect. "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains." James 5:7

When the leaves fall from the trees, leaving them bare, it reminds us to be willing to let go of things that hinder our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical growth. We are called to shed old habits as we develop our relationship with God. We are called to examine how we operate and rid ourselves of attitudes that cause us and others to stumble. We are called to look at our life choices that we make and get rid of the sin we actively choose to engage in that cause cracks in our relationship with the Triune God. God wants to bring newness. "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is a vulnerability that comes with shedding the old and bearing our natural state. In a world full of filters and masks, procedures and aids to hide the imperfections of our person, autumn reminds us to celebrate the imperfections of who we are. It is in our raw state that we can be the most open to God using us for the purpose we were designed for. In our weakness and most vulnerable, God's strength is made perfect. When we mask who we are to try and fit in, we tell God we do not need him. Vanity seeks the approval of the world around a person. It is a form of pride. When we shed the vanity like the trees shed their leaves, we grow in humility and allow God’s grace to work through us. We become a testimony to His transformative power. "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate^[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18

Looking forward to Thanksgiving, the US sets aside one day to be "grateful." The autumn season (and every other season) should remind us to be grateful for the blessings we receive. When looking at the harvest, we are reminded to rejoice in the hard labor and the provisions God has provided. For those who are not farmers, there is still a way to look at what you have and be grateful for what God provides every day. God waters the land and prepares it for a bountiful harvest. God is also at work in your life, preparing you for seasons of abundance. The blessings we receive from God don't happen all willy-nilly; they're perfectly timed and according to his grace.“You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.” Psalm 65:9-11

In this season, be open to what God may have in store for you. It may not be comfortable. It will come with some change. Until you are ready to let go of worldly ideas and control, you will never know the truest potential you have with God leading the way. Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.