Hmm... I love Autumn!

Don't you just love the smell of Autumn in the air? I can't really describe the feeling I get when I take it all in. It's a feeling of peace and comfort that just makes me happy! I got to thinking about the seasons that the world experiences and how they relate to our lives in an eternal perspective. In some ways Autumn represents life closing to an end before the death or sleep of winter. Spring represents new life and renewal. I love spring. It's exciting to see all thenewness "springing" up everywhere. And there is a special smell to that air too. But, for me, the Autumn air has an extra special sweetness to it. I found that interesting because I would have thought that brand new life, not impending death would bring me that unique sense of peace and comfort. Someone once quizzed me on the life cycle of a leaf. I assumed that the time when the leaf was fully matured was when it was it's greenest in hue. But I learned that the leaf doesn't actually full mature until it is ready to fall off the tree. That the beautiful hues of reds, oranges, and yellows were a sign of it's "prime" or full "adulthood". And as it reaches it's prime, it gently falls to the earth preparing for it's next purpose, to nourish the earth in preparation for new life. The circle of life is eternal. As we are born, live, grow old, and die, we have a divine purpose beyond this life. As our "colors" turn and mature, we are only preparing for our ultimate destination and realizing our divine purpose for coming to this earth. In order for our "colors" to change and mature, we must endure hardship, the difficult battle between good and evil. It is through these defining moments/experiences that we grow and mature. How sweet it must be to be approaching death with the knowledge that it is only another beginning to the eternal circle of life. That experiences beyond our wildest dreams are to be had in the next life if we "earn our stripes" in this one. So, as I think of the Autumn leaves falling to the ground, I don't think of impending death. I think of the joy, peace,and comfort that comes from a job well done, a fight well fought. The glorious feeling of becoming better, being more, and realizing our God-given potential. Hmmm... I Love Autumn!

(The leaves are not this yellow in Maryland! These are pictures I took of Brown County Indiana when I was pregnant with Lincoln)