Thoughts of Autumn

All of a sudden, I have this yearning for my favorite season of the year.

Autumn. 

Maybe it's because I always feel refreshed in autumn. For me, autumn is more inspirational and gives me the feeling of starting fresh more than New Years. 

Perhaps it's the cooler temperatures. 

Perhaps it's my excitement over homeschooling and grading again. 

Perhaps it's because most of my favorite outfits are in autumn colors. 

Perhaps it's getting to wear boots again.

Perhaps it's being able to go on long walks, taking in deep breaths of fresh, cool air, or keeping my windows open to let the breeze in and lighting my candles. 

I always have the urge to write in autumn. Like it's a sudden fire that ignites once a year, where my only relief is to write or type as fast as I can.

I catch myself daydreaming a whole lot more too. I used to daydream a lot, but now I'm so busy all the time, I often don't take the time to dream. But in autumn, my dreamer's heart re-emerges out from  under it's heavy weight of responsibility, and slows me down whether I want to or not. Praise for my Lord and His beautiful creation is more readily on my lips than at any other time of the year, and peaceful thoughts of thankfulness put a smile on my face. 

Leviticus 26:4  Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 

Many verses like this one in Leviticus mention the season of harvest, autumn. It's a symbol often used in the Bible of the Lord's blessings on His people. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 

One of my favorite verses is this one in Ecclesiastes. It's been a beacon of hope to me in my darkest hours. 

Galatians 6:9  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 

Another verse of encouragement. Often by the end of summer, I feel like I'm about to faint from the heat and stress of our busy summer schedule. But that first cool breath of autumn is worth all the heat of every summer day. Just like the wonderful fulfilling joy of waiting on God's timing and reaping the rewards of my patience. 

Isaiah 40:31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. 

Apparently, the Lord wanted to remind me to be patient for His timing through this post. I had only intended to write a little about autumn and share a few scriptures pertaining to it, but the Father has been slowly changing my focus from that to verses pertaining to patience and not fainting. Perhaps a reader needed these gentle reminders and encouraging scriptures as much as I did.

I hope that these words are an encouragement to any who read them.