An Invitation

There is anticipation in the air.  There are moments with a cool breeze coming through.  Colors are beginning to change in some of the trees.  The water in the lake is getting colder.  And after one of the hottest summers our hearts are being wooed.
   
The fall season brings something that is needed right after summer.  It is a time of bringing back in.   Summer is wide open with long days and lots of sunshine.  People are out and about and having lots of fun.  That season is special all on its own.  But after long days of lots to do and staying very busy, fall brings people together.  People gather on porches and swing.  Campfires are enjoyable and welcoming.  Blankets are pulled out and shared.  Soups are on the stove and people are much more likely to relax around the table after the meal to visit because it is already growing dark outside.
 
Neighbors who hid inside or in the shade during the heat and humidity come out and take walks. Some greet one another for the first time in months.  People are more willing to stop.  They are out not just to exercise but because they want to be outside.
   
Each season has beauty but Fall's beauty is exceptional.  The trees that were lush and green and all blended together begin to pop with their own individual beauty.  Instead of seeing all the trees as one we begin to see them separately.  Look at that yellow one!  Look at the orange one right beside that deep red! Different lights of the season make the same trees appear different. And even the same tree changes right before our very eyes as it cycles through this season.
   
And maybe this picture of the trees is what we look like to one another during this season as well.  Because we are pulling in and getting together more,  we begin to see each other in different lights.  We do not just see each other as a group gathered at a sporting event or the pool.  We slow down and sit down together.  It is the time we begin to remark about the beauty of each one at our table or around our campfire.  We take time to check in and check up.  We get close and relax.
   
So as we head into this new season we have an invitation to the table or the porch.  Think about those who are near and dear to us that we have not spent time with lately.  We can brew some coffee or tea and gather.  Maybe there are some people God is laying on our hearts who have received no invitation to relationship lately and we can encourage them.  Or maybe our own family is in desperate need to pull in and we can invite them to the table with their favorites treats.  But whatever the situation we have to remember that this is a opportunity to slow down, resisting the urge to run to and fro.  This is a time to stop and sit.  Listen and talk.  The listening is to let others be heard and the talking is to allow ourselves to be known.  Both of these are gifts.

There is no hurry and more wood can be thrown on the fire.