Stepping onto my deck this morning, I feel a stir of air; the movement and change of the seasons. Gone are those soft summer mornings that caressed our faces before the blast of the day's heat. Now there is a chill to the air and the leaves have a slight orange tint at the tips, the beginning of nature's cycle of displaying beauty, letting go of decay, resting and then renewing each spring.
The change is welcome, as nature's cycles always are; a reminder that even though nothing stays the same, there is a pattern and a purpose to all of life. We too, are creatures of the earth and Jesus taught us to learn from observing nature. If we don't accept the cycles and changes in our lives and learn to let go of our expectations for things to stay the same, we will stop growing. Just like the trees, we can learn to let go of what has decayed in our lives, take time for rest and introspection, then move on to a new beginning. We can begin to practice this each day; a continual process of examining, letting go, allowing for renewal and beginning anew.
We can allow every morning to be a new gift...just as our physical bodies have shed old cells and generated new ones overnight as we sleep, our spirits can accept the gift of a new day as a fresh start. We can forgive what needs to be forgiven; make amends; let go of guilt, shame and regret; shed unhealthy habits, start something new.
A Prayer for Autumn Days
By Joyce Rupp
God of the seasons,
there is a time for everything;
there is a time for dying and a time for rising.
We need courage to enter into
the transformation process.
God of autumn,
the trees are saying goodbye to their green,
letting go of what has been.
We, too, have our moments of surrender,
with all their insecurity and risk.
Help us to let go when we need to do so.
God of fallen leaves
lying in colored patterns on the ground,
our lives have their own patterns.
As we see the patterns of our own growth,
may we learn from them
God of misty days and harvest moon nights,
there is always the dimension of mystery
and wonder in our lives.
We always need to recognize your power-filled presence.
May we gain strength from this.
God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain,
many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender.
We must wait for harvest in faith and hope.
Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings.
God of geese going south
for another season, your wisdom enables us
to know what needs to be left behind
and what needs to be carried into the future.
We yearn for insight and vision.
God of flowers
touched with frost and windows wearing white designs,
may your love keep our hearts
from growing cold in the empty seasons.
God of life,
you believe in us, you enrich us,
you entrust us with the freedom to choose life.
For all this, we are grateful.
Perfect.
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