Lessons from Autumn

                      This is from Arkansas, but you get the idea. Photo by lovethesepics.com.

Because of Ruby’s nocturnal visits last night, sleep came in chunks.  Running before breakfast didn’t happen today. I ran some after breakfast, before taking her to school.

The air felt damp and refreshing after last night’s rain.  The sky, starting to clear, revealed twigs and leaves scattered on the ground.  Fallen round pods formed a thick, hodgepodge carpet on the sidewalk. Fog lingered just about mid-tree line. It was, in short, a delicious morning for running. I inhaled the damp aroma of leaves and earth.

The sun lit up the once-green trees now scorched with flame-colored leaves.  I trod upon their lovely bi-colored currency, littering the ground. I passed the small waterfall that funnels into Goldsborough Creek.  I noticed how the falls, though not overflowing, cascaded down their rocky path with vigor.  The water flowed into a small pond. The pond, still and serene, reflected the now-golden trees surrounding it.

As I kept on, I considered what I’d seen.  Lately, I’ve struggled with numerous worries and concerns.  I haven’t slept well, even before last night. I guess you could say I’ve had a lot on my mind.  Will Zac learn to take responsibility for his schoolwork?  Can Ruby understand a stuffed-up nose is temporary and get back to bed already?! Weighted down with care is no way to live.  I felt like a juggler with a dozen balls, struggling to keep them all in the air.  Heck, some I tossed never came back down.  I completely lost track of them.

Could I be like this pond, quiet and peaceful, even though things keep coming at me? I’ve picked up some problems I can’t fix.  Could I release them to the One who can?  I realize this is an age-old struggle for me and many others, yet it comes up again and again.

Life with its ebbs and flows won’t stop moving along, even though I want it to.  Time and tide wait for no man – or woman – as the saying goes.  May my life resemble the brook flowing into the spirit-purifying, tranquil pond of God’s presence, always moving to His side and surrendering as I go. The natural pond flows back out into the creek, providing cool water for living creatures. I pray my spirit, once touched by the Father, can provide a source of living water for those I encounter.

“Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.” – Psalm 46:10