Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life (Pt.8)

Season #4 – Autumn (or Fall) 

Autumn is a time for harvest. This is when the crops are brought in. It is a time for celebration, satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. [Of course, different crops are harvested at different seasons throughout the year, but for our purposes we are focusing on Autumn representing harvest time] 

For some people, autumn is a time for dreading another winter, for watching the trees lose their leaves and feeling a sense of loss, and the passing of time. It can be a time for wishing things might have been different. Autumn can bring in a harvest of regret.

For others, autumn is a time for reaping the rewards of sowing in earlier seasons. It is the season for enjoying the fullness of life – partaking of the harvest, sharing it with others, and reinvesting and saving portions of the harvest for yet another season of growth. It is a time for feeling a sense of accomplishment, for recognising that life must be enjoyed to be lived.

Autumn is also a season of reflection and change. It is a time of great beauty and colour.

Autumn is a time for harvesting. What you sow, you will reap if you don’t give up! If it’s God’s dream and the seed is His, it will produce a harvest. God’s Word will not return to him empty (Isaiah 55:10-11). He is a promise-keeping, covenant-keeping God. If we do our part, He will surely do His. In His time he makes all things beautiful (Ecc.3:11). We plough the ground, plant, sow and water the seed, but God makes it grow. Our harvest could be a growth in character, relationships, ministry fruitfulness, or financial blessing. 

Autumn is a time for rejoicing. It is to celebrate the goodness and the faithfulness of God. Do this at the end of each season and along the way on a daily basis. God rejoiced daily as He was creating the world. Enjoy the process, not just the end result. Get rid of “destination disease” (“Someday …”). Draw maximum joy from each moment. Enjoy the journey. Joy is knowing you have a purpose for being alive and that you are fulfilling it. 

Autumn is also a time for sharing. The harvest needs to be allocated wisely. Some is to be given away – to God (our first fruits) and others. God gives seed to the sower (not to everyone!). God can only bless the seed you sow, not the seed you eat or hold on to. Don’t eat your seed for sowing. Give honour and glory to God. Give thanks and appreciation to those who have helped you along the way. No one “makes it” alone. Applaud your friends and partners. Acknowledge those who have sown seeds into your life. Your reward is to be shared with them.

There is also a portion to enjoy now. Eat the fruit of your labours and rejoice. You always benefit from the harvest God brings into your life. There are portions to save and to reinvest.

Enjoy your harvest season!

Tomorrow … a few final thoughts.