The season of fall, even with its copious amounts of allergens, is something beautiful. Every year about this time I find myself walking through the cool air of an October morning and then pausing to remember how inexpressibly beautiful life is. If you scroll through my blog you’ll see that every year around this time I have some sort of entry about the fall, the seasons, the beauties of life. It’s because when I see such beauty, I can’t help but write. I get filled up by these things and they spill out.

Maybe this is because of the change in weather; the cool morning air is refreshing. Maybe it’s the comfort of regularity; after a couple months of school and routine, a person begins to settle into the scenery of the semester. Maybe it’s the growth of relationships; it seems that, like a garden that has been planted, about this time relational blossoms begin to bloom. Whatever it may be, I know that this time of year I am always reminded of my heartbeat. Something awakens in me: the poetic soul, an artistic hunger. I remember that I’m alive and that I long to love and be loved.

As I step outside and peer into the sky, taking a deep breath of the cool air, hearing the birds sing their wondrous composition, I am reminded of the relentless love of God which holds all of this together. After all, everything,  from the soft colors of the morning to the erubescence of the trees, from the rising of the sun to the falling of the leaves, all of this is about Jesus. Everything was made by him, through him, and for him; everything is all about him. (Colossians 1:16)

The circling of the seasons and the spinning of the earth remind me that life can make you so dizzy sometimes. We circle around between work and school, between family and friends, between introspection and interaction. And so often we get lost in all of this, forgetting who we are and who God is. Yet God is a rock. He is a shelter that cannot be shaken or moved. (Psalm 62:5-7) We make life so complicated, but when Jesus spoke of life he spoke with utter simplicity: “Look at the birds and the flowers? They have food and are clothed. Why are you so anxious? If your heavenly Father cares for them, how much more will he care for you?” (Matthew 6:25-34) The simple truth is that God is in control. He is good. His love is strong. This powerful love is the glue of life. It is in Jesus that all things hold together. (Colossians 1:17)

That’s why things fall apart when we forget about Jesus. When we forget his compassion we feel alone. When we forget his grace we feel condemned. When we forget his patience we feel judged. When we forget his love we feel worthless. When we forget his faithfulness we feel abandoned. When we forget about who God is everything falls apart.

But the Lord is not a God who lets his children forget easily. He has created everything to remind us of who he is. The heavens declare his glory, and the sky proclaims his work. (Psalm 19:1) Everything around us, the song of the birds, the beauty of the flowers, and the blooming of relationships, are reminding us of God’s faithfulness. So look around and be reminded of Jesus. Take in a deep breath of the cool October air and breathe out praise! Speak up and sing out who he is so those around you will hear and know of his great love! Do not forget who the Lord is, but remember him and remind them. (Psalm 71:14-16)