Embracing Change - A Rude Awakening

I was rudely awakened from the sweet slumber of my Sabbath nap by the roar of the lawn tractor outside my window. I sprang from my bed and ran outside and stood there with my bare feet in the cool, damp grass. The panicked look on my face made my husband stop and kill the engine on the mower.

“You don’t want me to mow the leaves?” “No! I want to enjoy them for awhile.” “Well, they’ve been down for a couple of days.” “Yes, I know. Two days. They were all on the tree two days ago and they just fell. And I like how they look against the green grass. Soon all this color will be gone. I want to enjoy it!”

My poor husband. He had only one day to get his outdoor chores done, and he has to deal with his crazy wife attempting to 'Save the Leaves'. My heart wasn’t yet ready to embrace the change of seasons.

I moved reluctantly into autumn this year. For a northern girl who loves cooler outdoor temperatures, this was a surprise, even to me. Usually I welcome Fall in all its glory and enjoy the break from hot summer weather.

But this year felt different. It felt cold. Period. And for some reason, the trees didn’t seem to display the intensity of color that usually comes with fall in Wisconsin. It was still pretty, just somewhat muted. Except for my red maple, the one that had just shed its scarlet leaves in a matter of two days, carpeting the ground with its lost crowning glory.

Then one day I stepped out into the brisk chill of an autumn morning, and I was brought to my senses. No longer was the encroaching change of seasons a rude awakening. I felt the vitality of fresh, cold air on my face, awakening my senses, making me feel alive. I remembered how much I love this refreshing feeling; but there is one caveat: there can be no wind. No bitter wind blowing the cold into the seams of my jacket or up my sleeves. 

And now, we’ve had our first snowfall. And like a young child, I felt the excitement in the change of seasons. Well, truthfully, I was resting. Or trying to. But the big, fat fluffy flakes called me from my blankets to bundle up in a warm coat, hat and mittens, and go out to experience the new season. I walked around the yard as the silent snow fell and remembered last year’s bounty of snow, and I thought about the long, cold winter that lies ahead.

Embracing change. Now that’s not always easy to do. But change is always good. Somehow we adapt, and often when we look back, we realize the change wasn’t so hard after all. Perhaps it is the thought of change that sends us into a tailspin, when the act of change will actually bring us a momentum we could never have imagined on our own. 

Although it may be a rude awakening, embracing change can open our lives to possibilities we could never dream of. Love the season you are in, for most certainly it will soon change. And when it does, embrace the change. Keep your heart open for a new beginning. We never know what joy could be waiting right around the corner.

Blessings, my friends.