Drop Your Leaves

We've had such a beautiful Fall this year. Fall has got to be one of my favorite seasons. I just love all the colors, the crispness in the air, the change. It's like you can see the change right before your very eyes, and change is often hard to see. I think that's why I love Fall so much. Trees dropping their leaves, preparing for the winter months ahead. It's one of the magnificently logical processes of nature. 

52 Week Project ~ Week 32
Falling behind this Fall, but making the most of it.

With the change of seasons comes a letting go of all those little things that can potentially burden us with unfit weight that we no longer ought to carry. But unlike nature, often times we try to hold onto these things way too long. Though wind, rain, and tempest roar, some of us would rather lay down our lives than give up our pride.

I'm forced to ask myself why...

Why do we view life this way? Why do we resist change? Why do we hold onto things that we know we just need to let go of?

These things---they don't even have to be blatantly bad---can hinder us from having authentic relationships with family and friends, from reaching out of our comfort zone to help someone in need, or from seeing the kingdom of God in all its power and glory. They can keep us stuck in an old way of thinking or in a hardened place of unforgiveness and resentment. They can misalign our priorities or slowly lead us down a slippery slope of despair.

I'll bet a thing or two comes to mind. Something that you know you should've let go long before today, but for whatever reason (you may have some very good ones), you have yet to loosen your death grip.

Just because we're human doesn't mean we don't experience seasons and need to let go of things as part of the natural progression of life. I think we could all take a lesson from nature in knowing when to let go and move on. Each season of life has a purpose, and yet, I propose that one likely reason why we fail to recognize a particularly rough season's purpose could be that we're trying to carry unnecessary baggage from the past that we stubbornly refuse to offload.

So whatever it is that's weighing you down, now is the time to free yourself up, to move on. After all, Fall is the season of noticeable change. You know it'll be beautiful. We all need to stop wishing for Summer to come back and stop dreading the Winter's cold. This season has special things for us to do and discover. Don't let it pass you by---or else soon enough you may be the snow laden tree that fell because it refused to let go of its leaves when it had the chance.

Here's a few things I've discovered so far this Fall.