I noticed this shift of season most acutely when we sat inside the office of our local rental company on Friday, waiting to sign the lease agreement for our new apartment. A stuffed scarecrow greeted us when we first arrived, and every corner of the rental office displayed leaves, gourds, pumpkins, and the like.
Size-wise, it's not much bigger than what we have now, but it has one claim that our current apartment cannot boast of--washer and dryer hook-ups!
For the last year and a half, our washer and dryer have been sitting in storage, neglected. But very soon, we shall be able to use them again, and I could not be more grateful.
And just because we won't be decorating our home doesn't mean we can't enjoy our favorite fall foods.
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| Candy corn sugar cookies! I used the idea/ technique from Our Best Bites and the sugar cookie dough recipe from Chocolate-Covered Katie. |
Last week, we made pumpkin-peanut soup. Sometimes we use sweet potato, sometimes pumpkin; either way, it must be eaten with sriracha sauce!
This week, we're trying a Dorito-beef casserole. We're going to use Cool Ranch Doritos. Red Beard and I are both pretty excited about this one. :)
As the chilly air rushes in to signal the change of season, I can't help but think about how much our lives have changed in the last year (I know, I know... sentimental cliche... oh well).
We're at a new church, working with new people. Red Beard has had several promotions at work, and he is almost done with the first leg of his college career. And I'm now a FT wife (so weird!).
I know sometimes we can feel trapped in a particular season of life. Maybe "stuck" in high school or "stuck" being single or childless or jobless or whatever. But the truth is, as the Bible tells us, our lives are but a vapor (James 4:14).
One of the things God has really been pressing upon my heart lately is to not wish any time away--savor what you have, because tomorrow the winds of change will blow through and you'll wonder where the time went.
That's kind of how my dad felt post-surgery. He had to be out of work for several months to recover. At first, he was very frustrated to not be able to work, but he eventually realized how valuable his time at home was--to the point that he didn't want to go back to work when it was time to!
I know sometimes, in certain seasons, you get that same feeling you got as a kid when you received socks or underwear for Christmas instead of another toy. As a kid, it seemed lame and disappointing. But later, as an adult, it makes more sense. Maybe your family was poor and didn't have money for necessities.
I mean, what if you didn't have socks or underwear? I'm pretty sure underwear takes precedent over a toy (just sayin').
Kids don't get new toys for other reasons, too. Perhaps the kid was so rotten, he or she didn't deserve a new toy... or maybe he or she wanted a toy that was for an older child. I mean, you can't give a toy with small pieces to an infant; it wouldn't be safe.
And the same is true in our lives as Christians.
We are God's kids. Sometimes we get only what we need (the proverbial socks and underwear) and not what we want (the proverbial toy). Does that make God a bad Father? By no means!
He knows what we need, and if we are mature enough to handle more. Maybe we want something we aren't ready for or something we don't have the character to handle.
I know that if my husband had come along when I wanted to have a husband (at least 7 years prior to when God placed him in my life), Red Beard would have (or should have) run the other direction! I would have made a mess of a marriage, no matter how ready thought I was.
I pray that you are enjoying the new season of fall and, more importantly, enjoying the season of life in which you currently find yourself. Thank God for what you have, and let Him decide when you need more.
--Mrs. D.
