The Autumns of My Life
Fall has been exceedingly spectacular in Northeast Ohio this
year. The vibrant colorful leaves have
clung to the trees as if to give us a little extended blessing of the handiwork
of God’s masterful artwork. I have
enjoyed the gentle breezes as I’ve stood outside gazing at the sunshine
filtering through the hue strewn trees watching as those few colorful leaves,
who have finally let go of their limbs, sachet slowly to the earth joining the
colorful, rustling carpet of leaves awaiting them. I’ve inhaled the fragrances of Autumn –
cherry wood burning in fireplaces wafting their fragrant smoke curls into the
atmosphere, freshly pressed apple cider, hot apple dumplings with cinnamon ice
cream and dribbles of half and half cream, hot cocoa with little marshmallows
that leave a moustache on your upper lip. I could go on and if you haven’t guessed by
now, autumn is my favorite season; maybe because I was born in the fall -
October - and felt its crispness in the first weeks of my life.
In October, I began the second year of a new decade in my
life. There have been many autumns through
which I have passed. There have been
some autumns that have been bland and not as colorful as this one. Some autumn seasons have been so wet and
rainy and cold that their beauty never had a chance. The leaves fell as they simply
turned brown never having a chance to bless us with their vibrant colors. And,
there have been gorgeous falls like this one.
Life, itself, reminds me of autumn sometimes.
There are times when we are so colorful and feel so alive.
There are times when everything feels flat-lined, and then there are times when
we are wet and cold and feel lifeless.
Though beautiful as this one has been, it has been one of fierce unrest
for our country in the wake of one of the most important elections of my
lifetime. While I may not agree with the outcome, my life first belongs to my
Savior, Jesus Christ. I have placed my
trust in Him many, many years ago, and I do realize that even when I don’t
understand my “Father Knows Best”. It
doesn’t matter who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC, for I
know that I’m just passing through and this is not my final home.
The autumns of my life have often brought change. . .some
that I thought were good and others, I seriously questioned. Each change caused me to pause and pray, “God
grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change
the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” A simple prayer but far from easy! Many times the autumns of my life brought
great joy – the birth of a granddaughter, a move to a new home, a trip through
the beautiful northeast into Maine, gazing at the magnificent colors
surrounding one of the wonders of the world, Niagara Falls, but then standing
graveside saying goodbye to loved ones whose memory still brings a smile to my
face and tears to my eyes.
This autumn has brought us both great joy and deep sorrow. While we were rejoicing and celebrating my
dear uncle’s 90 years with which God has blessed him, we sorrowed deeply at the
loss of our dear cousin who fought a good fight until the last moments of his
life. Our hearts ached, too, with grief at the loss of a precious friend of
more than 30-years and the only solace in both of those losses is the fact that
we are assured of a heavenly reunion as they both fell asleep on earth to
awaken in the arms and looking upon the face of their Savior.
This fall we’ve also made the change to being empty nesters
for the very first time and only for a few months. Duty calls so my sailor son-in-law is being
deployed to the Middle East for a period of six months to??? (Depending on the
situation there that seems to be escalating daily especially with the uprising
against Israel by Hamas). In the meantime,
my daughter and granddaughters are moving home so the empty nest will be
partially filled once again as the little princesses settle in.
So, as I prepare this week for the culmination of this
another autumn, 2012 – Thanksgiving – I cannot help but turn my thoughts to the
many things and people for which I am thankful. . . .I am thankful first, and
foremost, for God, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, in providing
redemption through His precious blood for my sins that I might know Him in an
intimate, personal way and have the promise of eternal life when I pass from
this one. I do “give thanks to the Lord
for He IS good; His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)
For the rest, I could write volumes of “things” for which I
am thankful and God knows the depth of my heart when it comes to being thankful
for my loved ones, my family, and the blessing of wonderful, loving friends. Thank you Lord for always listening to my
prayers, even when I ramble, and don’t seem to make sense even to myself or
just when I sigh. Thank you for always
caring (II Peter 5:7) and showing me that you care even in small ways. Thank you Lord for helping me run my race
that you have set before me and for giving me sustaining grace. For always knowing what’s best for me and
letting me know, especially when I don’t want to hear it or accept it, thank
you. For all of your mercies, dear Lord, where, oh where, do I begin? For my dear, precious husband who puts up with
me when I don’t act very thankful, for my children, my grandchildren, all of my
many family members far away, for the blessing of loyal, loving, lifetime,
longtime friends, for your daily, sweet abiding presence that never leaves me
alone. I give you, Lord Jesus Christ,
100% of my thanksgiving, the autumn of my life.
