Due to my heart jumping love for Autumn, I need to get in a Fall post before it feels a little out of season, some would suggest Winter has crept upon us in Kelowna , but not officially so I will get away with it.
So here I am in my usual November state, feasting on Autumn glory.
Isn’t that the purpose of this season? To Feast. To Fill. To Harvest. To Fatten up.
Fall is a unique world.
Mark Buchanan writes in his book Spiritual Rhythm about the seasons of the heart, describing what each spiritual season looks like, feels like, behaves like. He helps us identify the season we might be in and how we can live a fulfilled life within it.
With all of this seasonal chatter, I will summarize a few Autumn thoughts from the book.
Fall brings an expectant heart, if you have prepared well in other seasons, you can wait expectantly.
A bible lecturer on welcoming his students quoted a popular aphorism. “you get only what you put in” but went on to say say how untrue this is. In truth you get a lot more than you put in saying ” investors don’t invest, bakers don’t bake, farmers don’t farm, expecting to get what they put in. They do it expecting much more”
What you do get is the same kind of thing you put in. Put in gossip, criticism, fear…expect more. Put in kindness, encouragement, love… You get it.
Be careful what you sow and be careful how you sow – Generously? Sparingly? Not at all?
And what actually are these harvests?
Harvest of Souls – finish what He started. The sowing is done. Look, pray and go.
Harvest of Prosperity – not the health and wealth gospel. Generosity is so good for the soul, whether stuff or truth.
Harvest of Righteousness – put simply Christlikeness. Enduring hardship, produces a harvest of righteousness. Peacemakers raise a harvest of righteousness. Peace, the verb … Seeking it, pursuing it, making it, sowing it.
Of course with an inevitable Winter time on its way, let’s not miss the spiritual meaning of Fall. What gets you through Winter are fat reserves, our spiritual Winter times are so long, and grim because we haven’t prepared.
This season of the heart comes at the end of the book, if you would like me to summarize the other seasons, helping you to identify your season of the heart, let me know and I can write a post on it.
Or of course you could read the book!
Fall through my lens
Absorbed by Color
Finding Light
Looking Up
Going Deeper
Yes, I would like to read the book! Assuming you have it, could I borrow it? Perhaps for Winter reading AFTER we have moved.
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I’m reading Nancy’s copy.. I’m sure she would love to lend it to you. Maybe we should get a copy in the library;)
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