Upheld in Cool Warmth

Crisp, Warm Autumn Afternoon

An autumn afternoon. Warm, balmy, yet with a crispness that you don’t feel in the blistering summer heat.

The landscape has a sharper contrast to it. The promises of spring’s flowers have become berries and other fruits or vegetables. The same, but different.

I sit on the porch basking in the pleasant atmosphere, lulled to laziness. Watching the sun crawl across the yard. Lighting up this area. Then that one. Leaving shadows behind.

Time Out to Be

Sometimes it is a good idea to take time out and just be.

To hear the bark of a dog echo down from the hill. Or the birds as they tweet. Maybe watch them glide in the deep blue sky. Or even listen to the silence left by bugs that are no longer chirping since their season has departed.

The pine trees jut their needles up into a cobalt that is a deeper blue than a summer sun allows in its all-encompassing golden glare. It seems every needle stands out as the light moves.

Contentment Anyway

Its been a tough summer in many ways and places. We usually look forward to vacation and play, yet sometimes it turns into a time of grief and disaster.

But on this autumn day, I know Father God sits with me on the porch. I feel His nurturing presence. Maybe because I have taken the time to sit with Him.

In the midst of life’s turmoil and joy, God is unchangeable. In this, is contentment.

“I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you, I will sing praise to your name, O Most High” (Psalm 9: 1-2 NIV).