Letting Go

I’m sitting here in my favorite spot watching fall. Literally. Watching fall. There is no wind to speak of and yet I am watching leaves fall like a rain or snow storm.

It just makes me wonder…most people I love say their favorite season is fall. Why? Ok, that isn’t a real question. Obviously it’s the beautiful colors and bearable temps and promise of yummy Thanksgiving food. But, is there another, deeper reason?

{Jim Gaffigan is one of my favorite comedians and we recently watched his latest movie, Cinco. He does a whole bit on fall. Check it out. You’re welcome, Netflix.}

We’ve put dates on season changes. Why? Have you ever once known the seasons to change because we turned a calendar page? ….and now….drum roll please….here’s fall!! Nope. It doesn’t work that way. When the climate does the things it does and the earth’s rotation does its thing…I’m no scientist, ok? But even I know the seasons change when it’s time to. (Please don’t prepare your comments on global warming. This isn’t really about that.)

Here’s the main point. Seasons come and they go based on certain things that trigger change. Our personal seasons are the same. We grow and change and enter new seasons of life. Usually with a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth. And we have a tendency to see certain seasons of life as better or worse. But they are all good and important.

I think learning happens in the tension of the change window. You know how we tend to complain during season (or time) change? Hard to adjust. Don’t know what to wear. Freezing to death, burning up. Well, we do the same thing during the change windows of our lives.

What if we/I, just rolled with it?

I’m on a new quest. Each morning I’m watching for change. When I have my quiet time, I read a short devotion and then close my eyes and ‘take my temperature’. I ask: what’s going on inside me today? Did I read words that challenged my thinking? Will I meet people today who will help me grow? Am I listening twice as much as talking?

It’s short. It’s simple. It’s challenging. And I recommend it. Jump into change like we loved watching our kids jump into big piles of leaves! Maybe it’s exactly why we love fall.