Good grief! Have we had enough rain yet? I can’t remember having such a short autumn. The leaves were mostly green on October 25, trick-or-treat night in the Atlantic community. This was almost spooky to me. Then it started raining over the weekend and hasn’t quit. All the maple trees have turned golden, but the leaves fall almost as soon as they change color. My black gum tree, which typically turns crimson, is still green. It’s so weird. I’m starting to wonder if the leaves will just drop without turning red.
This spring was super short too. Last winter wouldn’t let up. It snowed on April 29. I remember because it was the day my son joined the church. And it was 80 degrees on October 10, the day before my wonderful trip to Shiloh, Tennessee. So we had an extra long winter and summer this year, but only a burst of spring and fall.
I know people whose hearts are breaking because they’re not getting to soak in the beauty of a long autumn. They ache to gaze at tangerine, golden, and crimson leaves as they drive home from work or mow their lawn for the last time this fall. They’ve waited all year for this season, and it looks like it’ll be here and gone in a few days.
This situation reminds me of how little I can control in this world. I have no power over when leaves change color or how long they remain on their branches. And I can’t stop rain from knocking them down.
I can’t control the results of this week’s elections. Please vote on Tuesday, by the way. We’re coming up on Veterans Day, too, so please remember all those who have given their lives to protect the freedoms we take for granted, such as the right to vote.
I can’t manipulate or persuade anyone to extend volleyball season, even though my daughter misses it as much as I miss the balmy days of late summer. No number of backward glances or worrying about the future will change anything about autumn, elections, or volleyball season.
It’s helpful to remember that while everything around us seems to change without our consent, God never changes. In Malachi 3:6 God says, “’I am the Lord, and I do not change.’” (NLT)
That truth comforts me beyond description. The one constant in life is God. He cannot lie. (1 Samuel 15:29) He will never leave nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) He knows everything. (Hebrews 4:13) He can be everywhere at the same time. (Jeremiah 23:23-24) And He sits on the throne in heaven watching over all creation. (Psalm 113:4-6)
So when you see the leaves in sodden piles around the Atlantic community, remember that while seasons change, God never will. He will always love you and is always willing and able to help you through all seasons of your life.
Have a wonderful week. Blessings!