Yesterday was the first day of autumn. The leaves started their turn a few weeks ago. The trees around the house have been dropping seedlings and tiny berries since early September. (During the night, it sounds like hail pounding the roof!) The nights are cool, cool enough to fire up the furnace. The squirrels are growing their fluffy tails to keep them warm during the winter that is soon to come. They scamper around the yard, competing with the chipmunks for the best morsels to store away in their nests. All the signs of the change of seasons are here.
I’m never ready. I’m a summer woman through and through. Give me the hot days, the warm breezes, and long hours of sunlight. I like my shorts, lightweight tops, and flip-flops. Cool glasses of iced tea or lemonade sipped while sitting in the pergola on a sunny afternoon, moving my office to an outside table (easy when my office is at home) to enjoy the heat of mid-day are sure to make me happy. Winter comes too quickly here, and autumn is the cautionary notice – “Get ready. Here it comes. Haul out the shovels, snow blower, boots, coats, scarves, snowshoes. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!” It’s like a neon-sign blinking on the horizon. I try to enjoy what’s left of summer while it’s still here to enjoy.
The weather is still pleasant during the day. The breeze is mild and the sun is still shining bright and warm. The windows are open to let the fresh air in. I can still let the laundry dry on the clothes line. I spent part of the day working in the garden. Some of the plants are finished for the season, their leaves drying up and producing nothing more. They’ve been pulled out, the soil raked and ready for winter. A few vegetables are still growing and the sweet smell of basil still greets me when I approach the garden. It was too beautiful a day to work inside.
A stroll around my yard with a cup of coffee was my reward for my work today. It seems that autumn is letting a few remnants of summer to linger a bit longer. Around one of the birdbaths, the flowers are standing tall. The violas and pansies in the pergola are holding tightly to their bright colors. The bird song and neighing of my neighbor’s horses greeted me like sweet music. It turned into a truly beautiful day.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His mercy endures forever!” Psalm 136:1
The beauty of the day filled me with such joy. I think God prods me on days like today, whispers “Look around you. Don’t miss it. I created these incredible wonders – the sun shining bright and beautiful, the birds that are singing you a song, the flowers that color the landscape. Don’t forget to go out tonight and look at the moon and stars. I created all of this. Take it in, enjoy it!”
I am grateful for God’s creation, for the many wonders in this world. I am also grateful that He gives me the eyes to see them and the mind to appreciate them. I pray I never ignore the beauty that’s around me. I pray that I can always see God’s greatness and be filled with His joy.
