To Everything There is a Season

To everything there is a season,

and a time for every purpose under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

This morning, I opened the front door to check on the weather, and was surprised to see leaves liberally sprinkled over my front lawn.  A "blink and you've missed it" storm came through last evening with a rather strong wind, and my lawn decorations this morning were the unwelcome result.  

I love everything about the fall season except the leaves!  The temperatures at night have started falling into the 50's, and I have watched for signs of the foliage to begin dressing for its autumn showing, although there has been little evidence of that here in central Virginia.  The days are getting shorter, and my spring/summer flowers have given way to the oranges and russets of mums.  I contemplated purchasing a couple of large pumpkins for decorative purposes on Friday, but decided it was a bit too early.  I'm fairly certain that those pumpkins will be on my shopping list for this weekend.

Just as the changing colors of fall signal the coming days of winter, so our daily lives sometimes reflect harder times ahead.  I have so many friends that are facing serious health issues themselves, or have loved ones and friends battling cancer and other dread diseases.   It seems that each day my prayer list grows longer and longer.  What a comfort it is to know that the God who created the seasons understands the passages that mark our journey through life, and promises that He will walk the pathway with us.