By Pastor Bridget Sheely
Co-Pastor of Prairieland Parish
When life swallows you up with sadness, hurt, frustration or fear. When you begin to be led by the hand to the dark side of life. Where do you go or how do you find your way back to peace? Who do you turn to for help when you can’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders any longer? The fall season gifts us a moment to reflect. To step out of the daily stress and noise of life and take time to self-evaluate what was, what is, and what is to come. Now if you are like me, maybe you are in the need for a reset so you don’t miss the beauty due to the blinding effects of negativity that can become overwhelming. It is time to stop and see the beauty of this complex world. Beauty in a smile, beauty in the sunshine of a fall day, beauty in a visit with a friend or neighbor. Beauty in the unexpected kindness of strangers when you least expect it. Most importantly, the beauty in the knowledge that we belong to a loving and merciful God who walks beside us each day. So, I say let’s welcome this fall season with the poetic words of King David in Psalm 95:1-7 (NIV):
1. Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
2. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
3. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.
4. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
6. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
7. for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
Today, if only you would hear his voice.
Friends, in the fall the animals prepare for winter by storing food and searching to find a cozy spot for hibernation. Farmers harvest crops so to have enough to feed their family and others in this world. We, as God’s children, must take this opportunity to slow our pace, shed the unwanted stressors and find comfort in the blessings. Let us be thankful for the beauty and then let us reach out to be a blessing to others so they too may come out of the darkness that feels all to consuming and feel the beauty in the warmth of God’s light upon their face. Now is the perfect time to change our perspective and welcome in what truly matters. Friends, let us reset this fall and find peace and joy in the beauty. Let us praise the Lord for all He has created and be thankful for His offer of salvation and grace through Jesus Christ. God bless you all this fall!
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