Following the Trail of Autumn Leaves
“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the sun…
A time to plant and a time to uproot…
A time to weep and a time to laugh…
A time to embrace and a time to refrain…
A time to keep and and a time to throw away…. ” Ecclesiastes 1:1,2b,4,5,6b
As I approach Autumn a reflective stirring begins within my soul.
It was a change I feared in my young Navy wife years for usually my husband went on deployments aboard aircraft carriers in the Fall… so I felt loss. There was a void to be filled. Anxiety and loneliness would settle upon me like the falling leaves of a tree shedding her excess.
My heart felt stripped of joy, exposed, abandoned.
Many military families back home live with these feelings.
But I was not alone.
I was in a season of change.
My Heavenly Father was present and ready to take me through but I had to reach out for His Love, His Comfort, His Presence.
I found comfort in His Word.
” Yet You are near , O Lord. and all Your commands are true.” Psalm119:151
I found confidence in prayer.
” Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself. he will answer when I call.” Psalm 4:3
I found a way to live with expectancy and hope.
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isiah 40:31
Really? Yes, really.
Asking God to guide your steps each day in every decision is establishing a rooted faith that will grow and flourish like a mighty oak tree as the seasons come.
Now that I am a grandmother I look at the Autumn with a deep satisfaction in the Sufficiency of a God who is able to sustain because HE remains.
How?
Because HE has proven His faithfulness day by day, night by night, moment to moment to me.
” The Lord is faithful to all his promises.”Psalm 145:13
And now in the falling Autumn leaves I see God’s beauty in the weathering shades of crushed crimson, muted gold, burnt umber and vintage yellow.
They are in transformation…
The tree remains rooted though denuded.
And so do we.
The momentary trail of leaves draws us to follow where change has brought us.
In war or peace, God is with us.
In planting or uprooting, God has purpose.
In weeping or laughing, God reveals His love.
In embracing or refraining ,God steadies our faith.
In keeping or throwing away, God sculpts our character.
Seasons of faith must have pruning, nurturing and then blossoming.
Where will His Trail of Autumn Leaves lead you this year?
Will it be a move, a financial set back, a rite of passage with a child, an illness of a parent, a job loss?
Will it be a wedding, a graduation, the birth of a child, a bright creativity you discover?
Will you decide to see God’s beauty in the midst of less or more?
You can.
Pray for the troops. Send them care packages. Be thankful that you can sleep in cushioned beds at night and awaken to enjoy this Autumn because they are on watch in distant lands. Adopt one and his or her family.Make a difference for a man or woman serving in the Armed Forces this Autumn.
If you do you will visit Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, Korea, Germany– all around the world!
God will bless your life as you bless others and a Trail of loving concern will be visible to those who follow.
Someone is always watching and waiting .
” He makes everything beautiful in His time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” Ecclesiastes 1:11a
As we act in faith , God will intervene, heal , strengthen, mend, rescue, and provide.
God Bless our troops!
God Bless America!
God Bless you for responding!
WEB SITES FOR TROOPS:
http://:troopssupport.com — This will direct you to several places.
www.hickoryfarms.co/military (baskets for military under $30– no shipping costs) special foods
www.foxsox.com — a site to buy socks for troops which they need. Winter is coming.
PLEASE MAKE THE EFFORT! :0)
Billie;
What a beautiful message for me as I begin my day today . . . I truly love fall . . . it is a season of change. I recognize that I am in a season of change and I look to God to show me the way. Your words are comforting and teaching me, thank you for always giving a beautiful message to those who need to hear. Your ministry is one of encouragement, guidance and strength. You have been a warrior to women who need to hear God’s message, thank you for never giving up!
Love you and thank you for sharing such an incredible scripture!
Donna
How beautiful the leaves become as they yield to HIS purposes……..
Billie, Thank you for bringing fall to us so vividly. It is not one of my favorite times of the year, but I can appreciate the beauty you portray. (Perhaps it is because I am in the winter of my life!) It is imperative that one recognize Gods plan, for rest, for renewal, for the grain that is planted and dies and comes to life once again in due season to bear more fruit. It is beautiful and is to be embraced because it is His plan. Thank you for sharing His word, His love, His care and that He is there for us all, especially in the fall of our lives!
I agree with Donna, it is a beautiful message and thank you for the friendship, guidance and example that you have set for us all, especially me.
Is there an organization that has addresses for the deployed military man and/or his family, if he is married?
Annette
Billie,
What a beautiful prayer! I could identify, being a military spouse, and having felt all these feelings! I love Fall and it’s also a melancholy time for me, as it was my step grandmother and mother..missing family in Heaven. It’s also a time I find myself recommitting myself to the Lord – thanking Him for all the wonderful and faithful things He’s done for me my whole life. Thanking him for giving me such a godly mother and Christian family, wonderful Grandparents who loved the Lord! I remember the troops, as I come from a military family and my husband is a “troop”. It stays fresh on my mind! How grateful I am to the wonderful men and women who serve, to keep us free! And, I thank God for you Billie, as you are such a blessing to all of us, with your devoted service to the Lord and dedication to helpig us! God bless you! Love you Internet Mama!
P.S. – that was one of my mother’s fav verses – there is a time for everything under the sun..a time for weeping..a time for laughing…I remember her mentioning how much she loved this.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and wisdom with us. Beautifully written as always. Wonderful ideas you have given us to be a support to our troops. I’ll share these with my church as well. Love you Billie! So glad we are family! Hugs, Cousin Jeanne