Autumn Aspirations
November 2008
It’s
that time of year once again…the trees have surrendered to nature’s
fall fashion line, trading in summer’s youthful, vibrant greens for
sumptuous shades of red and gold. The sun, while still intense in its
illumination, has begun its hiatus from heating our portion of the
globe. We have reluctantly begun packing away our dainty summer
garments and pulling our more durable duds out of the back of the
closet. Thoughts turn to the holidays, pumpkin spiced sweets are
advertised at every coffee shop and eatery, and with some tinge of
remorse over what we hoped would happen in 2008, we realize how quickly
the end of this year is approaching.
Autumn may seem like
little more than a time for the world to close up shop…it can be a bit
depressing as we trade in the long, balmy summer days for the frosty
mornings and longer nights. The barbecues and the picnics are over and
nature itself seems to prepare itself for the frigid months ahead. The
urge to hibernate takes us over and the flowers wither away. But
perhaps there is more meaning in this season of winding down and
bundling up….
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Edwin Teale once said:
For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.
For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.
It
is well-known that in spring we plant, and in fall we harvest – we
celebrate Thanksgiving and remember God’s blessing and benevolence to
our families and forefathers with a prayer and a plentiful feast. We
decorate our homes with fruits of the harvest: bales of hay, pumpkins,
corn stalks, and cornucopias abounding with produce. But the harvest is
not just the fruit of the spring, or the end of year. It is also a time
of rest and preparation for another spring.
While it appears
as though the plants are stripped and dying, do we see the beginning of
new life in the death of things around us? The soil appears stripped
and dry, but it rests in its bare state, gathering nutrients from the
decay of the leaves that have fallen. The trees look barren and
haggard, but the sap within continues to nourish the mighty plants. The
winds carry seeds and chaff over the land and distribute them so that
they are ready to bud when the spring sun shows itself again.
Jesus said this in John 12:24: I
tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and
dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a
plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world
will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will
keep it for eternity.
It is impossible to look at the course
of nature and not see the characteristics and ways of God. New life
springing forth must always come after death. We see it clearly in the
illustration of the seed, dying and producing something much bigger
than it ever could have been on its own. How beautiful of God to
provide us with such a practical visual for the basis of our very
salvation! Through the willing forfeiture of Jesus’ very life, we have
life, we have hope, and we have opportunity to share his message with
others. Consequently, in our willingness to lose our own lives, to
reckon ourselves dead with Christ, we are resurrected with Him; fresh
life springing forth from below a dark burial ground.
Autumn
is not just the time for the earth to pull up the covers and snuggle in
for a nap – it is a season of peaceful preparation, as the ground and
plants breathe a sigh of relief after producing all summer long, and
quietly anticipate the time when they will once again come to life. Let
us remember the quiet, willing death of our Savior and the Father’s
plan to harvest the lives of thousands through His painful sacrifice.
We have so much to be thankful for.
By Jennifer Yakopin