autumn

 

Found myself alone today! If you live in a large family...or happen to be a teacher...or both...you know how rare those moments are. 

We live close to the Georgia National Fair, so my parents took the kids for one more day at the fair before it closes down on Sunday. But it's a little rainy this morning, so I opted to spend some time at home. My room, my ratty college hair, and my school all needed attention. Some women call it self care, and some call it survival. That'd be me. You can see the swollen hours in front of a screen in these eyes, even with my vain filter attempts to cover it up, right? :) 

But this is the home stretch! I'm almost done with this Master's degree. A sentence I swore I'd never write. The promises I've made to myself have made me laugh...and cry from exhaustion ;). 

This blog has been around since I was ten years old. The posts have waned in number over the last few years, so you hear from me once, maybe twice a year. I feel as if I should continue journaling when my college days wind to a close in December. Right? Oh well, I know the world has gone the way of the Instagram story, so if you find yourself here willing to spend more than a moment, I'd welcome you!

But these are the autumn days in the literal and figurative sense. October...as Anne put it so well, I'm glad I live in a world where they exist. (cue sparkles)

But the Octobers, the autumns of life are every day. Every day we find ourselves trying to wrap up one season or another of our lives, short or long, that it is time to move on from. Whether it be schooling, a job, a relationship, or a myriad of other things. Every day, at some point in the day, there are moments that change our perspective or heart on something and the beauty of those learning times manifests. 

Kind of like how the trees finally surrender to the lesson nature is trying to teach them every autumn. Instead of simply dropping their leaves in defeat, they gradually shift into a moment of beauty; each leaf color distinctive and shape specific to their kind.

God calls us to the same moments. He calls us to thrive in the tough, in the difficult, in the moments that are changing us either slowly or swiftly...He calls us to be a witness to His hand in our lives through our joy, our faith, and our commitment to Him. To show His beauty.

Which is why autumn is my favorite season. It is the season that God makes a death to self more beautiful with the changing as He calls us into a season of growth, stillness, and the cool and serene silence of winter.

Happy October, and Happy Thriving---

Maddie-