Wednesday, September 7, 2011

In Which We Give Ourselves Permission to Pause...

The season of rest and recuperation is upon us. The time for cozy blankets, warm candles, mugs of hot tea, and big pots of steaming soup. The time for the warming of the soul, the warming of the home, the warming of the heart.



Warm, sunny weather has a way of working its way down into the depths of me. It gets down in there in such a way that I can never quite imagine that I will be able to embrace the fullness of fall, especially while still in the throes of summer.




But every year as August draws to its end, I find this soul of mine yearning for the more restful, reaping season of fall. The gardening and canning season (which leaves me quite exhausted the entire month of August) is wrapping itself up, and the outdoor projects are beginning to dwindle.


The hard work of the harvest draws to a close, and I know it's time to begin to enjoy the fruits of the harvest. And this permits me to cozy up a bit more in the warmth of our home and give my soul some breathing room.




And as we have just started our new school year this past Monday, this new season also reminds me of what my focus needs to be, both in our school lessons as well as in our home and my personal walk.


My purpose is to glorify God. And so my goal as I educate our children is to stay focused on the spiritual aspect of training my children. It's easy for me (one who places a high value on education) to sprint ahead with vigorous academics.




But if I focus only on numbers, parts of speech, and proper handwriting, am I really helping to establish a firm foundation in my children's lives?


Reap the harvest of this season with me, won't you? Embrace this time of rest that God gives. He has purpose in the changing seasons. He knows when the earth needs to lie dormant and sleep as well as when His children need to draw in and look inwardly to Him and find sweet, refreshing soul and mind rest.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

it isn't until you truly work, as we were designed to do, that you can truly appreciate the fall/winter months as a time of rest. This is a good lesson for our kids, work as you were ment, the rest, in the coming season. Thank the Lord for the seasons!

Wendi said...

Really enjoyed this post! I need some time to rest and reflect. I am looking forward to winding down some.