“All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.
7 8
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever.” --Isaiah 40:6b, 8
Ah, fall. The scent is in the air. Each breeze brings the reminder that this season of "prequel," of crispy, crunchy beauty is coming.
I love fall. It is, easily, my favorite time of year. And not just because my birthday comes in the fall. . . .
Fall, or autumn, if one is a linguistic purist, always seems so dramatic. On the heels of summer, when everything has screamed of life and vitality, now the air begins to take on a chill. The verdant greens turn to russets and browns.
The quiet stillness of winter is just around the corner. Change is on the wing.
Change.
The jet trails bisecting the sky, confident at first, then slowly dissipating until they become whispery memories of promise, disappearing among the clouds.
That cloud. It looks just like . . . a hippo? No, it's changing now. An elephant. I am sure of it.
And now it's a goose.
Change.
A couple weeks ago, the art museum had a chalk festival. Square after square after square of the concrete sidewalks was covered with beauty, first conceived in the mind and heart of a boy or a girl, a child or a grownup-- or a team-- then brought forth in ecstasy and excitement, with giggles and smiles, intent looks of concentration. The paths around the pond were transformed into a crazy quilt of many colors, some vivid, some more subdued. Gorgeous!
And then the rains came, again and again.
Yesterday, faint traces still remained of the once-vibrant artwork. Reds and oranges, blues and pinks all run together, smeared like greasepaint on the face of a sad, sad clown.
Change.
Trees begin to drop their leaves, one, two-- then every once in awhile, with a shake and a flurry, a whole mess of leaves drops at once. Time for raking, time for gathering-- time for crunching and rolling in the leaves, if we dare.
Change, they tell us, is good. We should learn to embrace change.
Will you? Will you take a chance? Revel in the change of the seasons?
Change-- or die. There is truth in that statement. Once we stop changing, we do, indeed, die-- but even in death, the change continues.
Yet the one true God remains unchanged and unchanging, forever and always, proclaiming himself, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin" (Exodus 34:6-7).
Autumn is all about change, leaning forward towards a season of quiet and sleep, yet one still filled with immense and intense beauty, pensive and patient, waiting once more to be revealed to those who have eyes to see it.
And yet the Almighty, the Creator of it all, remains steadfast and true, before we ever made an appearance in this planet and long, long after we have departed. Change is good.
Thanks be to God.
Life, and love, and this world all pass through seasons. How will you mark their passing?
C'mon. Let's take a walk, crunch some leaves and look for another elephant in the clouds. The mark of the Creator's promise of good things yet to come. Amen?
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