S6 E3: 3 Things We Can Learn from Fall

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 I hope you are enjoying the changing of seasons wherever you are. Even though I know that can look different for all of us depending on where we live.  if you’re in Ohio  I’m sure you’re experiencing Fall on a different level than I am in North Florida but I had this thought the other morning when I was out walking.

I see the “Fall in Florida” memes making a joke that nothing changes and I know that is more true for certain parts of Florida but I even hear the jokes from some here in my city which I like I mentioned is North Florida and some even joke that Jacksonville is closer to south Georgia. And I grew up in Tennessee so I’m used to experiencing Fall but as I was walking the other morning I stopped and bent down and picked up a leaf that had fallen on the ground. It was adorning one of my favorite fall colors and I just found myself twirling it around as it was glistening in the morning sun as it was still wet with the morning dew…

And I had the thought of how easy it is to miss these little changes because the temps were going to be higher by afternoon giving the impression things are as usual.

But they’re not….even though it might be on a smaller scale the temperature drops at certain times of the day are significant enough already to be causing leaves on certain kinds of trees to change and fall…

I’ve talked about and thought a lot about this idea of living our lives on autopilot. I don’t have the statistics right in front of me but it’s amazing how much of our day and how we think and act is just an automated response to how we’ve been living.

It’s just how we are wired...when we repeat certain thoughts and actions they become so ingrained in us that we don’t even think about the details anymore. We’ve all experienced getting into the car to go somewhere and that we go to frequently and arriving and not even remembering the process of getting there.

Even though we are wired for these habits to become so ingrained in us we are also wired for change. And FALL is all about change and that’s what i want to talk about today...3 things we can learn in this season of FALL. 

The first thing is EXPECT change!

Just like the story of the leaf earlier.  I know it’s a new season and I’m looking for the evidence of that. 

That evidence might be really obvious or I might have to really be searching for it. 

But as I’m sure you’ve heard before…”we find what we are looking for”

If we spend our days complaining about how we’re stuck and nothing is ever going to change...guess what?! You’re right!

Or if we choose to find the grace and goodness in the midst of circumstances we don’t love...we’ll find it.

I love the passion translation of James 4:8 “ move your heart closer and closer to God and he will come even closer to you.”

Let’s be present in this season and open our hearts and minds and move closer to God and expect him to move closer to us and reveal his grace + goodness in our lives.

The second thing we can learn from this season of fall is that surrender is a beautiful thing.

The trees are a great example of surrendering to the season 

Love these words of Jesus from Luke 9:23-24

Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat - I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how.  Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self.

I gave a great example of how this trust plays out in the eyes of a child in the previous episode of transitions so go back and listen to those if you missed that. 

I’ve realized more and more that trusting God is all about me surrendering.

Which I’ll admit isn’t always the easiest thing. 

But it’s the necessary thing to do to grow and allow the plans and purposes of God to flourish in my life.

The third thing we can learn from Fall is beauty can be found in allowing dead things falling away.

To appreciate the beauty and trees in the Fall we also have to appreciate and give room for the process of allowing dead and diseased leaves to fall away and make room for new growth in a future season.

Can I remind you today that our resistance to change is oftentimes more painful than the actual change itself?

I know for me most of the pain in my life comes from resisting that which is necessary for the process of growth and for bringing forth that which I truly desire.

You and I were designed and created to flourish and to change and to grow and to thrive and it all happens in this mysterious rhythm of seasons.

The morning I picked up that leaf I actually hit record as I went to take a pic and captured the sunrise shining down on the leaf as i turned it over.

That phrase “turning over a new leaf” popped in my mind and I actually looked up the origin of this saying right before recording this podcast and here’s what I found...

Way back in the 16th century, pages in books were referred to as leaves. So turning over a new leaf meant that one was turning to a blank page. This idiom was used to signify a major change in behavior or a new stage in life.

I love this!  

You're never stuck, friend. No matter what you perceive your circumstances or feelings to be telling you …

YOU ARE NOT STUCK!

You can choose at any moment to turn over a new leaf, to make a change in behavior, and change your life.

My prayer is that you will surrender and draw near to God in this season and expect him to reveal anything that you are hanging onto that is no longer bring life to you.  Things or relationships that have run their course and are keeping you from new growth in your life.  

Expect and look for change in this new season!

God is able to do abundantly above all we can ask and think 

We just need to surrender and all the process…

 Love you guys!

 Talk soon!