Autumn is upon us! The skies are clear, the breeze is brisk, the harvest is come home, and the leaves are changing colour and dropping. Soon these leaves will cover our yards and streets; our feet will crunch them whenever and wherever we walk.
This Autumn I will be spending time thinking about these leaves; during the spring and summer they benefitted from the sun and rain; they flourished because they have been connected to branches which provided them with sustenance. They served a wondrous purpose in changing the sun’s energy into necessary fuel for the trees, they provided us with colour in spring and shade in summer, they served as nature’s air filter and brought forth the oxygen we enjoy. As they start to fall they continue to provide for the earth; covering the ground to protect roots during the winter’s cold, and decaying to provide nutrients into the soil. These leaves are blessings all year-round.
So as I consider these leaves, as they fall in abundance around me, I will be considering the blessings that God has poured out upon me. The blessings that have offered hope, comfort, peace, and joy. The blessings that have encouraged growth, that have supported ministry, that have made my life better. The blessings that continue, that I take for granted, that I do not recognise.
God has surrounded all of us with profound blessings, and we have every reason to be thankful. We are delighted to be given opportunity to recognise these blessings, and to give thanks for them. We are encouraged to celebrate what has passed and what is yet come. We are called to live in faithful gratitude, to embrace what we have been given.
As I watch the leaves falling in the coming weeks, I will give thanks for the reminder of the blessings that fall equally gently into my life. I pray that we will all see that even the simplest of gifts in this life as a gift from God, and that we turn to God with joyful hearts to give thanks.
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