Seasons of Change

My feet are cold.

I hate it when my feet are cold, chilled to the bone.

But this morning, this fact makes me just a little bit giddy.

It means that Fall has officially arrived and as much as I love flip flops and tank tops, now is the season of layers and scarves. And all God's people said "Praise His Name!" and "Hallelujah!"

Now is the Season of Change...

I've written it here many times 
--how Autumn is all flirty and how he captures my heart...

And I have typed it out here on this blog even before I fully believed it down deep 
--how I'm learning to Embrace Change...

God has been graciously working on me --in me... slowly and consistently over the years.

I was one who resisted change... who ran from it...
who hunkered down as if I had a say.

And then there were the days (months, years) of accepting change... of leaning in, just enough to still not lose my balance.

And then the times I dove straight off and out into the great unknown, simply because He beckoned me and really, what choice did I have? 

He's  IT  for me!

Where He goes, I will follow... 
...you know, eventually!
(It's just that sometimes I am dragging behind...)

Where He goes, I will follow... yeah, that sounds good and it's oh so easy to say when He is headed somewhere Bright and Shiny... full of Glitter and All Things Joy-Filled.

It's even doable when He is headed somewhere Dark and Unsure, as long as you know that you know that He is with you, right by your side.

It's harder when He is going where you see clearly but it is somewhere you clearly do. not. want to go.  Though He promises that the trail will lead us up to the top, where His glory will be on display, all I can see is a steep decline and my heart just wants to stop. I need a nap and maybe a little convincing (again) that this upside down Kingdom that keeps leading me lower, really will eventually end up high above the clouds and His Light will shine and His Love will cover... and all this up and down will be worth it in the end.

Sometimes - even as we walk lower... steeper... with switchbacks galore... sometimes we just want a breaky and maybe a snack.  Am I right?

But He is clear and He whispers it loud, 

"My ways are higher than your ways..."

You know the drill.

And so we pick up and get back to the business at hand:
Living this great adventure that takes us through... always through! 

He leads, and we follow.  We will.  

It's no coincidence that I hold in my hands "Girl Meets Change" by Kristen Strong... it's because God loves me, and also because sometimes He just thinks He is soooo hysterical!

Maybe I will laugh later.

Probably.

I probably will.

I open up this morning to read, and this is what I find:

"I heard the Lord say to me straight out, 'Gratitude provides a window to a windowless room.'  ...He stopped by downward spiral with plain truth: gratitude is the way of hope, especially during seasons of difficult change."

                                                                                                 (Girl Meets Change, p. 110)

Yeah. That.
(The dark unknown/unwanted path... the windowless room... the way out is down... gah!)

And so I count on and I pull out Autumn and sprinkle it about the house... 
a bit of Glory on Display to remind me!

Which brings me to this... my love of Fall.

You guys... you see it, don't you?
The irony. 

For all of my days I have fallen in love with Autumn... and yet I have so often resisted the beauty, the glory, the dying and laying down of Fall. 

Fall makes room for deeper growth. 

Growth that is so often underneath the surface and unseen to the naked eye.  Growth that only looks unproductive, barren, cold... dead even.  And yet... 

God is the God of all seasons and He is always stirring, sowing, seeping Truth down deep. God is a God of Resurrection power, and we cry out, "Rise Up, in Jesus' Name!"

There is a bright and glorious display when we hold on until we simply must let go... 

Can I encourage you to do it... to just let go.  To truly lean in - all the way... losing your balance and your seeming ability to control, and instead just fully trust Him. 

I know... I promise that I know this is no easy thing that I am asking of you! 
I'm asking it of me, too!

Let's purpose this Fall to Embrace Change... for Change is happening for us all.  I'm only half way through Kristens' book but I can tell you that it is full of confirmation of things He has already taught my heart.

* It's just that sometimes, I forget!

P.S.  I'm linking up with these lovely writers:
JENNIFER DUKES LEE FOR #TELLHISSTORY

HOLLEY GERTH FOR #COFFEEFORYOURHEART

* You, too? Do you often find that you forget the Things that you already know?  I will be writing about some of these Truths That We Know, It's Just That Sometimes We Forget for my 31Days project. I hope you will join me in October!

Praying for you and whatever Change is before you... may He lead and guide and open doors and cover your heart.  Where He goes, we go... where He leads, we'll follow!

Yes and Amen?