changing seasons.

There's something really beautiful about fall.

The leaves changing, the winds blowing.
Rocking chairs and knitting, hot tea and sweaters.
It's a pretty spectacular transformation.

I know fall is supposed to be about death.  About the leaves dying and falling, the animals hibernating, the plants dying, etc.  But what if this is only the appearance of death?
To the naked eye, the changing of fall into winter looks like all of life dying or hiding away while the weather becomes cold and people, too, hide away for the season.  Appearance is not always reality.  In fact, a tree sheds its leaves and stores its energy inside so that it will survive the harsh winter, so that it can produce new buds in the Spring and still be strong.

What appears to be a season of death and decay is, instead, a season of hidden change, one of collecting, of preserving, of pondering through the scarcity, awaiting the coming life of Spring.

Maybe this is what happens in our own lives too.  When it looks and feels like you're in a metaphorical spiritual desert, perhaps that is when it is most important and most valuable to look into your nutrient storage.  (Yes, I am fully aware of the ridiculous verbiage I am using..)  Seriously, though... When it feels like God is far away, look into what you know to be true.  Focus on the character of God; on His faithfulness, His goodness, His sovereignty.  Look at the knowledge and faith that have built up over time and allow them to simmer within you, to keep you nourished and faithful through those "desert" times.

Let us welcome this transition into Winter with hearts searching for the good, for growth, even amidst the apparent barrenness of this season.