Creation Care Mom

Hello all,

I’d probably struggle to choose a favorite season, but the longer I live in Kansas the more I’ve grown to love fall. In Kansas, fall is when the oppressive heat and humidity of summer disappear. Chiggers no longer threaten me for daring to step on the lawn. For me, that makes being outdoors more enjoyable again.

I spent a large portion of the past two days harvesting the remains from my garden. This morning was supposed to bring our first frost of the year, after being 90 degrees last Saturday. I pick the last of my melons, harvested tomatoes and peppers, trimmed back my basil, and pulled beets and turnips. We have been blessed with bounty that I don’t deserve. Although I started my gardening year with great intentions, heat, humidity, a toddler, and our 2.5 weeks away this summer definitely resulted in the garden receiving less tender loving care than it deserved. And yet, by God’s goodness, I have amazing results. Plants are funny that way. They grow and thrive even under unideal circumstances.

Covering the plants I wanted to keep, I was surprised, that the frost was barely observable this morning. So those plants will continue to bless our meals for another couple weeks. It appears I’ll have to wait a little longer to put my garden to rest for the winter.

Fall is also that brief time of year between the hustle of summer and the holiday craziness. The plants are winding down their growth, having decided enough is enough for this year. They are settling in for a long winter’s rest. So too are the birds and bugs. Still discernible to the listening ear, but nowhere near as loud as summer’s cicadas. There’s a stillness with no more kids laughing at the pool and no more lawn mowers running. It’s like we’re all taking a deep breath before the holidays come upon us.

I don’t know if I’ve noticed this so much before. Probably not. When I was working, it was hard to slow down enough to revel in the changing seasons. Or maybe it’s because I’ve a toddler who notices everything! It reminds me again that God gave us seasons and rhythms throughout our year, and life, because he knows what we need. He knows we’ll need a break. He knows that Sabbath days and Sabbath seasons are so important to our own health, our relationship with him, our relationships with each other, and our relationship with the world we live in.

I’ll admit there are still feelings of uneasiness and uncertainty underneath my joy in fall. In 3 weeks, give or take, we’ll have elected a new president in the USA. Election season has generally brought out the worst in us and led to heightened emotions. Climate disasters continue with little relief in sight as governments continue to side with corporations over their own people.

And yet,

I’ve seen what God has done with my garden with what I offered. I know that he is bigger and above all that we are experiencing today. I continue to release again, and again, the emotions and tension that I am carrying into his loving hands because I know he holds tomorrow. I know he loves me more than the flowers and the birds. I know that he is also grieving, but he is also working even when I cannot see. So I walk forward with hope, and I dig into rest.

As such, if you are a regular reader, I’m taking a few weeks off. I’ll be back in November with new content and to celebrate 1 YEAR of blogging.

Much love to you all.

Arwyn