Fall Invigoration… inspiration!
I am not sure why I have always loved fall so much? Maybe it is the cooler temperatures… or the vibrant colors? They do seem to stimulate… invigorate me. Or maybe it is a sense of urgency… excitement… to get to all those things I have not yet done… that I cannot do during winter… that I do not want to put off to next year. Whatever it is (cider and donuts?)… there is something about fall that gets me… maybe just a bit more/differently than the other seasons. I do love all four… but Fall has always been a bit special to me.
At the same time… Fall is also a season that seems prime for reflection. Looking back on a great spring/summer! Getting adjusted to the idea of those brisk winter days just around the corner! Sometimes I may experience a little melancholy during such reflection. But overall… I tend to find them inspirational… uplifting!
I have so many memories of driving, walking, peddling, paddling through the tunnels of brilliant colors… over the carpet of fallen leaves… having them stirred up and flying around in the breeze like glitter! Add to that the backdrop of a huge harvest moon rising… punctuated by the smell of a campfire… not to mention the aroma of a little cinnamon schnapps or fireball whisky in that aforementioned cider or coffee… warmed by that fire. The feel of your favorite old flannel shirt… sweatshirt… sweater… as you cuddle up by that fire in the cooling evening air.
The parallel of the seasons of the year… to the seasons of life… just cannot seem to be missed during such reflection. The irony of dealing with all the change… at the same time you recognize the patterns and consistency… that provide a strong anchor or stabilizing effect. Watching the dippers spin in the northern sky… as the summer constellations slip over the Western horizon… and the winter constellations start to rise in the East. Today… I cannot help but see God’s hand in HIS spectacular creation!
Hiking in Colorado this summer reminded me of a time… where I struggled some with my faith. I was raised in the church and taught of God and HIS ways throughout my life. But like so many I went through those rebellious teenage years… looking for excuses to cast aside what I saw then as the shackles of such beliefs. I wanted to be free… and in control.
Most of my Sunday School teachers had what I would call an open interpretation of the Bible… meaning they did not claim to have all the answers… and suggested we needed to let the Holy Spirit guide/direct our interpretations.
However, I recall one that had what I call a more literal interpretation approach. Meaning he did not feel we should try to interpret… only accept what it says… as it says it. Along these lines of interpretation… he believed we can tell almost exactly how old the earth is… through the timelines laid out in the Bible. Six days of creation… plus the years of who begat who… and the earth is clearly only about 5K year old.
Even at that time… I could see so many potential flaws in this “young earth” perspective. I knew of Bible passages that indicated the short sightedness of this outlook. Not that I doubt it could have been done in that time… but my experience tells me God tends to work within the natural laws at the foundation of this creation. He tends to plant the seeds… rather than conjure plants.
Yet I tried to use this teachers outlook… along with my desire to dismiss much of what I had been taught. Trying to rationalize that the Bible and it’s teachings are clearly not in line with the geology and other sciences evidence that the earth is much older. I tried to extrapolate that to convince myself the Bible cannot be trusted.
I am so glad our God is a loving, caring, forgiving God. I tried to dismiss HIM that easily… but HE would not let me go. I spent years trying to convince myself… I had come to see the flaws in this archaic system of beliefs. I even tried to convince myself I was only looking further… to find more clear evidence to support my realization… as God patiently drew me into HIS word. Only to find (like so many others) the harder you look… the better you get to know this word… the more the gaps in understanding evaporate… as the clarity of wisdom and truth seep through. Like the brilliance of a sunset or sunrise beaming under, around and through the clouds. Even illuminating the very clouds trying to shadow the light… bringing them into the beauty that is.
I hope if you have doubts… you never stop trying to find the faults of the Word. But do not be satisfied with hearing what others say. Dig into the word for yourself… so you can uncover the flaws… and you will. Just not where you expect them to be!
If you’d rather not… that’s OK. But at least enjoy the beauty of this season as it is. Appreciate the invigoration… inspiration… it provides. Hold on to the peace… our little piece of the cosmos provides!
