A Lesson from My Fall Garden

In my first book, Run & Not Be Weary: The Pursuit of Purpose & Destiny, I speak of seasons and how we must prepare for season changes in our life.  Consider this notion, “Within each season, our responsibility is to manage and complete our God-given purpose, regardless of its difficulty or duration. Then, in God’s appointed time, we must prepare ourselves to change along with the seasons of life” (pp. 23).

 The changing of the seasons affords us the opportunity to reflect, retool and refocus. While we are noticing the color of the leaves, trees, and temperature of the breeze, we should also notice the seasons of our lives.  Season changes afford us the opportunity to reflect on lessons learned from previous seasons. These changes often lead us into a process of retooling by taking an inventory of what we have lost and assist us developing new skills that may be required in a new season.  Season changes also prompt us to refocus on the big picture and assess how each season of our lives informs our current and future seasons.

 For example, my garden has been a real source of comfort and healing in my grief journey. In fact, when I work in my garden, I feel closer to God, and I feel my mother’s presence. This week a friend called to check on me and I told her everything seems so different since Mom passed.  We talked about how our universe changes when our loved ones pass away.

 After our conversation, I decided to water the plants in my garden and blow the leaves off my deck. When I went to turn on the water hose, I discovered a beautiful new bloom among the fallen leaves in my rose garden. Then the Spirit whispered to me, “No matter how the winds of change blow, there is still so much life left.”

 As we enter fall and winter seasons, we experience the changing of the leaves and our gardens appear to be drying up. Yet, whenever I visit my garden in this fall season, I see signs of life that foreshadow spring and summer seasons. This tells me that life goes in cycles and what dies in one season can be the fertilizer for new hopes, new dreams, and new realities.

 Blessings…

 Dr. Toni