Fall

Man, I am so pumped for fall to get here. And even though it is brief in Texas, it is still my favorite season. Growing up in Tennessee fall was always a time when everything outside was splashed with warm oranges, reds, and yellows. Everywhere you went the scenery was a beautiful landscape painting. It seemed like even the mundane drive home was awash with new vibrancy and color. Mixed with a cool autumn breeze, these moments served as points of reflection and relaxation.

But with the same swiftness in which it arrived, fall inevitably gave way to winter. The colors faded, the air chilled, and the leaves covered the ground creating gargantuan menacing piles of... yard work. I couldn't stand to rake, bag, tote, and haul bags of leaves, but it was part of the process. If I wanted to enjoy the colors, I had to do so with the reality in mind that I would soon be grasping the rake in my hand to clean them up when they fell. But, you know, I would do it every time without complaint... because I knew that was the price I paid to see the colors.

Everything we do is for the purpose of glorifying God and seeing others drawn closer to Him. Some days I see the colors so bright and alive in people that I am overwhelmed with the opportunity that I have to lead God's people in worship. At other times... I feel like we're just out there raking leaves. So, I say thank you to all of you who are willing to be a part whether summer, winter, springtime, or harvest in what God is doing in our church and in our world. God is using you in every season.

~A