You crown the year with your bounty. Psalm 65:11 (ESV)
Autumn has been in the breeze the past few days. A yearly relief from the muggy mid-nineties! It calls me outside because the sun no longer seems angry. I actually get the same boost to my spirit in the first days of summer, when I can bypass heavy, chilly-weather clothes for shorts and a sleeveless top.
Even my feet are thrilled to breathe in flip-flops. And then there’s rediscovering the pool every late May. I grow a little weary of each season toward its end, but the beginning of every new season brings renewed hope.
When fall gives way to winter, I’m excited to breathe crisp air. And then there’s the coziness of coming inside for warm, comfy clothes and trying a new hot tea. And once again, the cold gets old, and I’m thrilled to see that spring has sprung! Jesus’s plan to refresh us is a good one. Who could’ve anticipated the quarterly boost that His changing seasons would bring?
But what I’m even more thankful for is the gift of His Spirit inside me to provide refreshment every moment, not just on a quarterly basis. He’s fresh air when life gets stale and a cool burst of truth that helps snap me out of a funk. He’s a warm blanket of comfort when my heart is hurting and peace like the stillness of swimming underwater in a summer pool.
Although life has its own seasons of ups and downs, heartaches and joys, Jesus is consistent. He is not a changing season, but He is flexible with our weaknesses and needs. Whatever season you are in, Jesus has something with which to refresh you.
Faith Step: Take an autumn walk and thank Jesus for His goodness, season by season.
