In celebration of Fall, I thought I would share something that I originally posted on October 30, 2017. I hope that you enjoy reading it!
Psalm 92:14 (ESV)
14 they still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green,
Job 12:12 (ESV)
12 Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.
Psalm 71:18 (ESV)
18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.
THE BEST SEASON OF ALL
Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the nice crisp mornings and the cool evenings of the season. By the time fall rolls around, the children have been back in school for a few weeks and life is back on track. Fall is also the beginning of the Hot Chocolate Season, fuzzy sweaters, light jackets, caps, and football. I don’t know about your house, but at my house football is a Big Deal! Fall festivals are also quite popular this time of year, as well as County and State Fairs, candied apples, corn dogs, cotton candy and don’t forget those delicious funnel cakes that also add to the excitement.
Although all of these things are exciting, the thing that I enjoy most about fall is watching the leaves on the trees as they turn vibrant shades of gold, red, orange, burgundy and even shades of plum in just a matter of a few days.
As I think of the seasons in nature, it reminds me of the different seasons of life. If you are reading this lesson today you are probably in the summer, fall, or the winter of your life. We are long past the spring of life, which was our beginning. I encourage you to find comfort in the fact that only God truly knows for sure which season you are in.
Isn’t it interesting, that just as the trees become more vibrant in fall, many of us become more vibrant in the fall of our lives. Many great things have been accomplished by those who are no longer in their 30’s, and 40’s or even 50’s. The good news is that whether you are 60, 70, 80 and even older you can still be used by God to touch the lives of others.
I know personally that as I have grown older and become wiser, I have a desire to become more productive and to live and enjoy each day to the fullest. I also have started living my life more intentional and purposeful. Thankfully, God has changed my heart in such a way that the things that I used to see as only a burden, I now see as an opportunity. As my heart has changed so have my eyes.
To experience vibrancy in the fall of our lives, we must be willing to savor and enjoy every God-given moment, full of gratitude and appreciation for all that God has done and is still doing in our lives. By the time we reach the fall of our lives we realize that there is so much more to life than running like a chicken with her head cut off 24 hours a day.
I have become aware that my quiet times are actually my most productive times. It is the time when I get still enough to hear God softly whisper His instructions for my day. It is my time of spiritual renewal and a time to hit my refresh button to get an updated perspective on my life. I have also come to realize that when I can’t hear God’s whisper, I have not gotten still enough yet.
As we get older wisdom becomes one of our greatest blessings. Granted, we don’t have the bodies or the energy that we had in our 20’s or 30’s, but in more cases than not, we have been imparted with much more wisdom than we had in those early years. From the blessing of wisdom, I have come to realize that what matters most to me these days are relationships. Spending quality time with friends and family is high on my priority list during this season of my life. I can also say that God has given me the wisdom to see that He is my first priority no matter what comes my way, my life is richer and sweeter because of Him.
I have also become more aware that the things that I work so hard to accomplish each day should have such great value and worth, that they will leave a legacy that will inspire and motivate other generations of women to walk the same path.
What season of life are you in? Most importantly, do you realize that no matter the season, it is a wonderful and rich blessing from God? Live life to it’s fullest, and enjoy every day and every season of your life. There is something unique and special about every season, so you must embrace it or you will miss the wisdom and the blessing of that season.
When you walk hand in hand with God every season can be a season of joy. As we walk closer to Him it’s His bright light shining through us that gives us vibrancy. Just as the trees that have turned to reveal vibrant shades in the fall we too can reveal His vibrancy in the fall of our lives.
2 Corinthians 4:16 (ESV)
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self[a] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (ESV)
3 For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
