Changing Seasons

Autumn is one of my four favorite seasons. And as much as I think I dislike change, I have to admit that’s what makes it so lovely. The heat of summer gives way to cool breezes. The deep green leaves turn scarlet, gold, yellow, orange, flaming against the clear sky. The more “exotic” summer birds gather in twittering flocks for their long journeys south, leaving only a few hardy cousins to stay with us in the colder months to come. The lush foliage of the garden is replaced with dying leaves, but we are finally able to harvest the produce.

It’s a season full of busyness, especially on our farm where there is much to do before winter arrives, but there’s a certain peace as well. I see God’s provision for me and my family everywhere I look – on the cellar shelves sagging with jars of home-canned food, in the stuffed freezers, in the pasture where sleek cattle put on a little more weight and “insulation.” I rejoice over the neat woodpile, the seasoned firewood stacked higher than my head. And I thank God that regardless of the changes the seasons bring, He always provides for us.

That’s an especially comforting thought right now. My dearly-beloved Granny is entering a different season of life. Seventy-eight years old, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer last month. And as we watch her body fail, we see her spirit grow even stronger as she displays absolute trust in the One Who has always provided for her. And just as there is beauty and peace in the changing season of autumn, there is peace in our hearts and beauty in Granny’s life as – with God’s grace – we accept the season He has ordained for her.

– by Jeannie Castleberry