Changing Seasons, A Rejuvenation

A touch of crispness in the air.

That was what I felt a couple of weeks ago. The windows in the kitchen were open, and the air just felt different. Which, in turn, made me feel different.

A good different. It’s an excitement for something new. The hot, long days are turning into cooler, shorter days.

It’s a gentle awakening of my senses with the slight shifts in temperatures and the days becoming shorter.

The mornings feel ever so slightly cooler.

It’s rare in Houston, Texas, especially in September. Honestly, we don’t have much seasonal change. We have mostly summer and then a snippet of winter. Then it’s right back to summer again.

The turning from summer to fall also means:

• football
• pumpkins
• pumpkin spice
• changing leaves
• hunting season
• sweater weather
• boots
• sunsets and sun rises at different times, which make the days feel like a new experience.

When the seasons start to change, for me, it is an expectancy of welcome change.

To me, changing seasons help me have an awareness of God’s wonder…of His creation.

It helps me notice nature; to be in awe of His majesty. Read more about this at my first experience at a Silent Retreat.

Recently, I was sitting in my office, I was bathed in sunlight and warmth. I was aware of the season slowly shifting from summer to fall-ish days.

The sun has begun rising later which means brighter sun in my office. It was dancing in delight across the floor and my desk. It felt warm against my arm and face.

These are the simple and magical fleeting moments of life that remind me to be thankful. Thankful for the beauty of changing seasons.

It rejuvenates and awakens my senses because it feels and looks different. When everyday feels like the same, such as the heat of Texas summer, it’s easy to take each day for granted. But, when the air is crisper, the sun rises later, it causes me to pause and take it all in. To enjoy it.

A few years ago, when looking out my patio door, I saw a curious sight. It was something I remember seeing as a little girl back home in Mississippi, but hadn’t seen one in Houston.

Perched on the side of a pine tree in my backyard was a Polyphemus moth. These creatures are very large. Their wingspan can be close to 7 inches!

Needless to say, this moth was hard to miss. I walked outside, crouched down to get a closer look, and check out this moth. It was beautiful!

For some reason, I felt that God had shared this piece of His creation with me on that fall day. To give me pause, to notice, to look, and to admire the beauty.

I somehow also knew the sight of this moth was signaling a seasonal change. The end of summer and the close of this moth’s season too.

Seasonal changes can be hard since it also signals simultaneously a beginning and an end.

Annie F. Downs, an author and podcaster I enjoy, has dedicated a full year to exploring the seasonal changes. She examines how these changes parallel with seasonal changes of life.

She created the Seasons Guidebook to help you dive deeper into the spiritual themes of winter, spring, summer, and fall. You can listen to all the Seasons podcasts, linked here.

As the days get shorter, the air becomes cooler, and the leaves change their colors…I hope and wish that it would cause you to notice.

I hope you pause.

Enjoy it.

Be thankful.

Be grateful.

Be glad.

Let the shift awaken your senses and admire God’s creativity.

Slow down and take it all in.