The beginning of fall and the Christmas season are my favorite times of year. As the hot Texas weather cools off and the leaves start to fall, I get excited. Some of it is the prospect of wearing all those cute fall outfits I have saved on Pinterest, but there is so much more. We don’t get as many color changes in the trees as in some areas or else I would probably be even more fall crazy, but it is enough to signal the start of something special. Overnight, God covers the landscape with brushstrokes of varying shades of yellow and orange. There is a treat for all the senses as we feel the cool morning air on our faces, hear the crunch of the leaves, and smell the pumpkin spice. We decorate our homes and create a warm, welcoming space for all to enjoy.
No sooner do we finish passing the turkey at Thanksgiving then it is time to get out the Christmas decorations and start to reflect on the time that honors the birth of our Savior King. Decorating Christmas trees and singing carols, shopping and wrapping gifts are some of the most fun activities of the year but the reason for the season is what truly warms our heart. The gift of salvation brought to Earth for all of humanity is the wonder above all wonders.
This season is a unique time in which we are given a glimpse of heaven as families come together in fellowship and love, and God shows off his personality in a way that is different from the rest of the year. We see his hand in the beauty of nature everywhere- in every leaf and tree and every unique snowflake. We see the beauty even in the decay and death with the knowledge that new life is ahead in the spring, just as we can have hope that even as our bodies enter their own fall and winter season, that spring lies ahead and the gift of life eternal in a glorified body is as real and true as the promise of green trees and wildflowers in the spring.
As we imagine our new lives and new bodies on the new and improved heaven and earth, we have to know that we have just seen a glimpse of God’s creativity and imagination. The same God that created a variety of unique seasons is creating something for us even now that will blow our minds. As much as I love weather that is sunny and 75 degrees, I am not certain that this is the plan for the rest of time. No one knows for sure, but I think that we will continue to have variety in seasons and weather and the unique changes that come with it but minus the harshness and danger that happens in the weather extremes we have in this broken world.
God’s plan is not to destroy the Earth but to purify it and improve it. I imagine that there will still be snow capped mountains, warm summer breezes, fall leaves and tulips in the spring as these are all part of God’s creation. In all honesty, God isn’t limited to 4 seasons! He may have something in store for us we have never experienced before!
As the world gets darker and more evil, I have to look at it and smile, knowing that it is signaling that spring and new life is around the corner. We must not lose hope but rather embrace this season with the promise that lies ahead. Jesus’ return is more imminent than ever before. We can rest assured that he is coming for us at just the right time and just the right season. Until then we will rejoice in every season! Maranatha!
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