Do you ever wonder when you see the glorious fall leaves and feel the change in the air, why it is that God gave us the seasons?
You can ask anyone their favorite season and usually get an instant reply. Sometimes it is personality based, sometimes how it makes our soul feel, sometimes because of what people the season may bring to us.
At its most basic, we need the change of seasons to alternate rest and production. Though the world is filled to the brim with busy people and go go go, we don’t always realize the downfall to trading our former technology free (and yet in some way much harder) lives to our current seamlessly immersed scheduled lives.
There is a natural cadence to the slowdown of fall. Yes the work doesn’t change for all of us, but in most cases it forces us to take more time. More time adding layers, more time warming up the car in the morning, more time getting out of bed and putting feet on cold floorboards.
In my opinion, God gave us these seasons so that despite the turmoil in our lives, or perhaps the joyous glory, we would always have a constant.
In our house autumn is that constant that resets my internal clock. It turns my focus inwards on my home, on teaching the kiddos. We have been studying the Empire of Rome and they have been amazed to see that despite its existence thousands of years ago, many of our current dates, our calendar and even some celebrations come from the roots of Rome.
We have learned of Saturnalia (now our Christmas) a time of gift giving, partying and liberty for freedmen and slaves, of Janus (the two faced God who looks back on the old year and on to the new ) hence the naming of the month of January. This among many others, has shown them that despite the wars, the famine, the pestilence of history, as humankind we have felt a kinship and a bond with counting and naming our days.
In our current events, this pandemic has been its own season, all encompassing, straddling years and days as it becomes a temporary normal. I say this with the greatest of hope that it is not forever, though some days it may feel that way. I think in some ways the world will never be the same and yet the more I read of history I know that others long before have had these same feelings of doubt and wonder and history has since long forgotten their trials.
This fall though we are not “done” with this pandemic (the virus exists on earth and always will) the season has felt more written in pen and ink than pencil. It seems more sure, on stronger footing. For me although there are days we struggle the school year is flying by and my favorite season is proving its worth in a waterfall of color and rain.
I am thankful for the consistency of autumn.