What Autumn Whispers to the Soul

As the barefoot days of summer come to an end, the anticipation of autumn slowly makes its appearance. Its entrance into the world around us is subtle yet breathtaking. The crisp morning air, the brilliant shades of orange filling front porches and greeting us at grocery store entrances, make us smile and take notice as we pass by.

As temperatures cool and the days grow shorter, trees silently prepare for winter, their green leaves slowly turning brilliant shades of color. No fanfare, just the quiet, daily performance of God's creation.

Leaves dance their way through the fall breeze and float to the ground. Children's laughter fills the air as they tumble into piles of raked leaves, while hot apple cider simmering on the stove awaits them.

Plans begin to take shape for Thanksgiving and the anticipation of Christmas. But not before we take in every moment of this magnificent display of God's splendor.

Linger there a while.

It’s a time to stop and reflect before the busyness of the holidays is upon us. Notice the leaves swirling before you as you drive down the road. Take in the stunning display of orange and gold passing by, a living watercolor from God's palette of wonder.

These are all whispers to the soul…a change is coming. I wonder what God might be whispering to us through the changing seasons. What might this season be whispering to you?

Maybe it calls us back to childhood. It did for me this fall.

My sisters and I grew up in a small Southern Louisiana town. We had a huge pecan tree on our property, and each autumn, as the leaves fell from that old tree, we would pull out our daddy's rakes and create an imaginary town with roads winding through the leaves.

I remember the excitement, the smell of the leaves, our conversations, and sometimes arguments, about where the roads should go and what buildings our town needed. We would clear out square areas for a school, grocery store, church, and more.

Then we would take turns driving our little red battery-powered car down the roads to school, church, or the sno-ball stand. As a child, it was magical!

After a warm grilled cheese sandwich for lunch in our pretend town restaurant, Jo-boy, our collie, would come running through town, completely destroying it!

And we knew it was time to rake those leaves into huge piles in front of our swing and fly through the crisp autumn air into the leaves below.

And somehow, all these decades later, I can still feel the wonder of those magical childhood days.

What are some of your favorite childhood memories of autumn? I'd love to hear them.

Let's not forget our stories. May we pass them on to our children and continue making wonderful memories together.