I was reluctant to write these words because saying goodbye to summer is hard to do. I am hanging on to the last remnants and refusing to let go. A rush of summer memories clouds my vision and I let the feelings wash over me one last time.
Oh summer, I have basked in your sunlight stretching from end to end each of your days. I have soaked in the vivid colors that filled my eyes as far as I could see. I rejoiced in the morning as the birds whistled their morning song. Each day was a new discovery, opening wide for me to see. How fast your beautiful days flew by and now the heat is waning and your days are slowly growing shorter as Fall is ready to take over. Oh, how I love you, summer!
And now… The vivid colors are fading as the first leaves twirl in flight to the ground. Birds are gathering their own to make the long flight to find warmth for the winter as they dot the sky in their V-shaped patterns. The lightning bugs have turned out their lights until next summer and the crickets sing one last chorus with gusto before the official change of seasons takes place. I am still holding onto all that summer promised and provided, but my effort is in vain. Fall is quickly overtaking you, Summer, with every green leaf that turns gold and every flower that loses its bloom. Saying goodbye is so hard to do.
The images of summer as they fade into fall show me that holding on is admirable, but change is inevitable. Letting go of the familiar and loved can be difficult, but when we see what change has to offer, we can be equally amazed.
[Tweet “God asks us to release the familiar to Him and in return He provides an opportunity for growth.”]
The things we hold onto the tightest are the ones that God asks us to release to Him. He sees the tight knuckle grip, but He knows there is something better in the letting go. The transition from summer to fall is a lesson in letting go. The gradual redesign of the seasons teaches us in slow motion the beauty of change unfolding before us.
Change is not a choice that many of us seek willingly, but the opportunity to learn, grow and become who we could be on the other side of letting go, is worth it. How willing are we to let go of the familiar and choose the new? Do we allow ourselves the chance to seize new opportunities, knowing that we may leave behind easy and walk straight into hard?
The change of seasons always brings on a time of reflection and examining life from a perspective of comfortable assuredness. We lull ourselves into a rhythm of familiar and when transitions occur as they are sure to do, we flounder and resist moving forward. We forget that there is One to whom we can release everything and He will lovingly teach us how to take those steps forward.
But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.
17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely. Psalm 59:16-17
God remains our stronghold through the seasons of our life. As changes move our lives into the unfamiliar, God always shows us His great love.
My prayer for all today is that we remember God’s strength and constancy as we leave the familiar and embrace the unfamiliar in our lives.
In grace and peace,
Mary
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I for one am always sorry to say goodbye to summer, but you are right. Changing seasons and changes in life are inevitable. We might as well embrace them and give thanks. 🙂 Let’s keep walking forward!
Embrace and give thanks-amen! That will always be the easiest thing to do but I realize how many times I still choose the harder thing. I love having you here. Your online friendship means a lot. Hugs and blessings!
Mary,
What a beautiful reminder that God is our fortress through times of change and no matter what the season. Thank you for your sweet prayers as I have been clinging to that fortress during some difficult changes in my life. I always appreciate your words…
Blessings,
Bev xx
Thank you for being so present in my life by visiting me here and commenting. It means so much. God is the constant we need when our lives are spinning in so many directions. I have been praying for you and will continue to do so. Hope your week is blessed.
We have Indian Summer and Monarch butterflies to enjoy for a while – I’m not quite ready to put my shorts and flip-flops away!!!
Now, though I like aspects of summer, I am not a summer-lover, Mary. You can keep all the heat, bugs, humidity and hecticness (yes, my summers are often the most hectic) of the summer and give me a cool, crisp fall day any day of the year! And as far as change goes, I’m set in my ways in certain areas and a risk-taker and love change in other ways. So I guess you could say I have a multiple personality! 😉 However, the changes that I most need to make are often the hardest for me to do. I do hope that all of the changes you are being asked to make in this new season of life are coming with joy and peace, my friend. After all the many years of service to the school(s) you served at, I’m sure you deserve it! Hugs to you!
Aren’t these in-between weeks the absolute best? The days’ warm sunshine is a craved balm to my weariness. The cool evening breezes makes deep restful sleep a real possibility.
I’m finding healing touch in the beauty of His creation, friend.
I am praying that you continue to find healing in God’s beauty. It’s grandeur shows me over and over again that we are loved by God so deeply and as He continues to surprise us with more He shows us again that we are enough. I’m sending a hug right now friend!
Mary, my heart echoes yours in being unwilling to move on from summer, even though the weather here is distinctly autumnal! I think you’re right that the root of the problem can be a reluctance to embrace change. So your words here have really helped me to look ahead more with expectation than with fear. I was especially blessed by this reason to move on:”the opportunity to learn, grow and become who we could be on the other side of letting go, is worth it.” Amen! Thank you. 🙂 x
So good to see you here today, Joy. I am blessed to know that my words helped you because when I write, I am always learning what God is trying to teach me. I am praying we both feel a sense of peace as we embrace change in our lives by turning to God and kicking fear to the curb. Blessings along the way.
It is very reassuring to know that even when seasons change, God CANNOT change. That way we can embrace change knowing that God is with us and will make things beautiful for us in the end.
These are very great and inspiring thoughts Mary. Thanks for sharing.
Have a super blessed day!
Love
I am blessed and humbled by your beautiful words for me. Knowing God is our constant in a world that is always changing is so comforting to me. The changing of the seasons brought this refection to life as I realized I am not good at letting go of the familiar or the routines that have been established. Hope your week is blessed.
I’m holding onto summer, but I know I have to let go if I am to fully embrace Fall and all that God has for me in this new season. Beautiful words, as always, Mary!
Thank you sweet, Barbie! Letting go is one of the hardest things for me to do because the familiar is always more comfortable. Let’s support each other in prayer as we embrace our new seasons. Love you!
What a gorgeous ode to summer, and welcoming of new seasons!! I so appreciate your beautiful writing — your story plucked a few heart strings, a yearning for the summer nights of my childhood chasing fire flies..we don’t have them in So. Cal! Thank you for a lovely post, it encourages me to embrace the change ahead!
I am standing with you as we both seek to embrace change in each new season. As for not having fireflies-my heart is sad for you. It is such a beautiful sight every summer. Thank you for being here and encouraging me along the way.
I’m right there with ya, Mary—so not ready for summer to end. Autumn’s my favorite, but I’m just not ready for it this year. Well, we didn’t get a vote, I suppose. 🙂 I started writing something similar a few weeks ago, but decided to take a little bit different direction with it, so I haven’t published it yet. Love the way you brought it all back to change, and not being too attached to the “rhythm of the familiar.” Well said. 🙂 Thanks for sharing. ((blessings))
Thank you for being here and sharing your thoughts on summer’s inevitable end. I actually do love Fall, but am finding that summer has been so good that I hate to see it go. Your encouragement today was a blessing.
I love this time of year, though I am a bit sad to see summer go. Beautiful post! Visiting from #TellHisStory today.
So glad to have you here today, Karlene. I am sensing that many people are having just a little more difficulty saying goodbye to summer this year. Hope the rest of your week is great.
Hi Mary! I love fall, it’s my favorite season of the year. But this year, I feel differently…I want summer to stay and stay. Not sure why, but something in me must not want things to change.
I think I needed to read words like yours to remember that God is in everything, from changes to seasons to my ‘good morning and good night’. I am not alone, and He can be my strength and shield.
Thank you for speaking to my heart today,
Ceil
I’m hanging onto summer but fully anticipating some fall goodness too. We are blessed that God is our everything who will be with us through our moments of standing still or times of change. Thank you for joining me and sharing such sweet words of encouragement. Hope your week has been going well.
Love that we both pondered a bit about the change of seasons this week. It’s amazing how beautiful it can truly be when we receive it, rather than fight it. Letting go and receiving change can be so hard for me, but the years have proven that God’s timing is ideal and His purposes are so great. Alas, as teachers, summer is a hard habit to break. Praying that you are enjoying your new season, friend. Blessings!
Maybe that’s why it is so hard to give up summer this year! I can actually enjoy every last day of warm weather and soak in watching the transition to fall. I am enjoying my new season and I so appreciate your sweet words of encouragement for me. Hugs and blessings!
Oh Mary, I could feel that reluctant but sweet release as I read through your words. We hold on so tightly, don’t we? Not realizing God has something better for us. Thank you for your beautiful words this morning. I’m blessed by you today.
Thank you for your sweet encouragement and for recognizing that letting go of something we hold dear just for the sake of holding on is not what God ever has in mind. Releasing all to Him in the process of change is the only way that I know I’ll end up successfully on the other side. Hope your week is blessed.
I have to say I’m not sad to see summer go because I love the fall! Other than that, you know I’m not much of one for change. Thanks for reminding me that God has much to offer when I loosen my grip and trust Him.
For some reason I don’t want to let go of summer this year and I love fall too. As for change, well I am still learning how to accept that gracefully. Only God will see me through. Love having you here!
Beautiful post and reminder that we can’t hold onto the familiar forever. God has new joys and opportunities ahead.
Yes and you are feeling that for yourself and so am I. God is teaching us a lot in this season of change and waiting. So glad you stopped by. Headed over to read your words now. Hugs!
You sure needed to write this words, because they have blessed me. Such a great reminder to start my day with.
When we open our hearts to accept change, we also accept to opportunity to grow.
I love the beautiful images. Thank you Mary for sharing.
Come join us at #EncourageMeLinkup (http://www.graciousinsight.org/jesus-teaches-about-fasting-3030-challenge-day-11-linkup/) I believe your words will bless the bloggers over there too.
Have a great day.
Thank you for the invitation to link up. I took you up on that and pray that your weekly encouragement touches the hearts of those who need it the most. Thank you for stopping by here and sharing your own personal encouragement. Your words blessed me.
Lovely thoughts. As change of seasons come it reminds me of changing life seasons too!
We can’t hold on too tightly, can we? But we can enjoy the graceful passage of the whole process.
Thanks friend
God Bless Mary
We can enjoy the graceful passage of the seasons or for our life. There is so much we can learn from change and watching it in the context of the seasons of the year helps me to understand and accept it better. Thank you for your beautiful encouragement. Blessings!
Dear Mary,
Lovely, personal post! Thank you for writing this. It’s so good to share our feelings and our faith. I love the late summer! I love autumn. But when it rains I feel a bit gloomy. I don’t love winters.
This morning I stood at the window and I saw the morning sun shining through the leaves of our oak. They will change to gold, the leaves. And then they shall die and fall on the sidewalk. But my God can give a spiritual spring in the fall: each new day. Even in a cold winter he can give blossom in my life.
Thank you so much for psalm 59. Yes, let’s sing in all our seasons.
So lovely to see you today. I love how described that God can give blossom to our lives no matter what the season is. I agree that I do not like winter For some reason I am reluctant to let go of summer this year. Thank you for your kind words. Blessings upon your week.