Tuesday, October 09, 2012

“Missing” Seasons....



As we were driving in to work this morning, I saw a tweet this morning that said “re-tweet if you are going to miss summer”. When I saw this, a couple of things occurred to me.

First of all, I can’t imagine missing the horrific heat, the drought, the fluctuating gas prices, the campaign slurs that have been going on for what seems like an eternity. There were definitely good things about this summer… time off, travel, festivals, time spent with family and friends, etc.

Second, it is so easy for us to lament things that are gone, and worry about the unknown future. It’s so much healthier to just focus on this day- because it’s all that we have… really. Just this very minute is all that we have. So why waste it on lamenting about days gone by, or what the future holds.

I realize that this is easier said than done! We can look back, and smile at the happy memories, take lessons from our struggles and failures, and try and move on. And that’s all well and good, but what got me about that tweet was a sort of rigid stubbornness, a determination to miss summer and miss out on the season that is now surrounding us. Autumn! Autumn is a glorious time. Yes, I realize the days are shorter, and the nights are Cold. Frost will soon cover our yards, our plants. We’ll have to make extra time to scrape our windows each morning. Yet instead of focusing on the negatives of the changing season, why not embrace the day? Why don’t we try to find the good in things rather than the bad? It’s so easy to be negative. Lord knows, I am guilty of this. And I guess that’s why that tweet caught my attention this morning! Summer is gone… it had its highs and lows, but it’s gone. It’s time to move on… to make the most of each day. And most of all, to count our blessings!

As for us…

As with everyone, life has been full of challenges and blessings… and by the grace of God, we’re doing well.

In closing, I’d like to share a lovely prayer I found on another blog. The link to that blog is below.

O God of Creation, you have blessed us with the changing of the seasons.
As we embrace these autumn months,

May the earlier setting of the sun
remind us to take time to rest.

May the crunch of the leaves beneath our feet
remind us of the brevity of this earthly life.

May the steam of our breath in the cool air
remind us that it is you who give us your breath of life.

May the scurrying of the squirrels and the migration of the birds
remind us that you call us to follow your will.

We praise you for your goodness forever and ever. Amen



http://www.catholicfamilyfaith.com/2009/11/autumn-prayer.html