“On your feet now—applaud God!
Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into his presence.
For God is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever.” (Psalm 100:1, 2, 5 MSG)
Fall has never been my favorite time of the year. While all the fall-lovers are basking in their hoodies, football, and pumpkin spice drinks, I’m realizing my favorite season (summer) is definitely over. Worse than that, fall is a time of dying – the summer weather is fading away, the leaves and plants are dying, the daylight is decreasing. The writer of Ecclesiastes wasn’t kidding when he said, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…” (3:1-2 NIV). I really didn’t like fall — until I ended up getting married in the fall and ALL my children were born in the fall. (What were we thinking?!?!) Then fall had more highlights and less dying.
In the last few days I’ve been thinking about beauty, mostly because so many of the fall colors are at their peak around us. In this season there are still beautiful things. That same writer said, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV). So, today, I share with you* some of the moments that have struck me as “beautiful,” and I invite you to be aware of the beauty around you.
God of Beauty,
You are good and your love and faithfulness continue through all generations. Thank you for the beautiful gifts you give us in your Creation, in our relationships with others, and in the gift of Jesus Christ. Help us remain aware and thankful of these gifts that come from you, the Giver of all Good Gifts. AMEN.
“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:5 NIV)
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17 NIV)
* I took the photos below: Sunrise, fall leaves, sunset over the water, fall mums, sunset over the water, moon-shine through the leaves, and a trail near us.
