Symphony Fantastique

I love fall and all its colorful symphonies magnificently playing for the joy our creator. The beauty and mystery of fall is always accented with a sadness for me, as the leaves die and glitter ground in preparation for a new season, a new year, a new adventure. And although joy gracefully encompasses the sadness, it is there nonetheless.

Especially this season.

More things are changing than I ever could have imagined possible, and although each change shows the creative and passionate love of God for me and the community around me, it has still been difficult. Being a person who is far too often driven or paralyzed by the fear of the unknown, The Giver has provided me with continuous opportunities this season to grow past the fear, trust a little more in myself and rest in the promise of delicate creativity. These opportunities have of course been received with a good deal of courage and its share of fear-filled resistance. But the fear only seems to come with changes that directly effect me and my husband. Do you ever do that? Completely trust God's plans for others, but hesitate when it comes to your path, plans and future? But I think that God not only desires for us to trust in God, but also in ourselves.

So this season God has not pointed out the next trail we will climb together, but has instead given me the task and opportunity to be the trail guide. Several summers ago I became certified to be a trail guide for backpacking trips, and during the certification course I was placed in charge of our group for a day. Deciding which trails to take, when to rest, eat and where to set up camp. I had to trust completely in my own judgment, talents and instincts; this was terrifying. What in the world made me qualified to make such important decisions and (even scarier) what if I made the wrong decision? What if the pace was too slow, the sun started going down, the temperature starting dropping and we didn't have a place to start a fire? What then?

This is a similar thought process I have been through over and over after understanding that God was giving me the task of choosing where to go next. Um, excuse me . . . God, I am almost positive that I am not qualified to make this decision. Are you sure? More importantly, are you crazy?
But what if pick the wrong one?

Such a huge fear of mine.

Then God sweetly reminded me that this choice didn't matter. What was going to matter is what we do on The Way and what we'll we'll do when we get there.

So now that I've chosen the trail, I'm learning to hold confidence in that choice, soaking up the symphonies of the season and continuing to follow Jesus, on The Way.


Hope you rest in the enchanting music of fall this week
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKfDwChOoHI