Well, I guess it must finally be here.

Are you feeling the undeniable cool breeze of Fall like I am? Yesterday, I stepped outside in the late afternoon and had to go back inside to grab a jacket. Then it dropped to 43 degrees last night. Brr…

Many people cannot wait for the cooler temperatures. They love the contrast of a chilly night followed by a warm afternoon, the change of a gray sky to clear blue during the same day. They cannot wait to curl up by a roaring fireplace with a good book and a blanket. It is the season of pumpkin spice everything. Hayrides. Apple picking. Mountain hiking. Leaf crunching. Football playing. Time.

I am not a fan of Fall’s colder temperatures or shorter days. I am a Summer girl. My pain loves it better when it is 90 degrees. And it depresses me just a little when it starts getting dark by 5:30 pm. I hate to see the beautiful green leaves dry up and fall, and my outside plants wither and die. But Halloween candy—now you’re talking!

Whether you like Fall or whether you don’t, it comes. There is nothing we can do to stop it or even delay it. It is a matter of fact. Life is like that, sure in the coming, but uncertain past that. Life is change.

We can look forward to change with anticipation. Without change, there can not be improvement.  We can cower from it in dread. But, remember, God does some of His best work in us through our trials. Either way, we know change is coming, right? How can we prepare it?

1. Get rid of the old. As we pack up our Summer gear, our attention is called to the things that are no longer useful to us, to the things that we need to get rid of that we do not want to take into our next season. In the same way, God calls our attention to the things in life that we need to clean out—unconfessed sin, unforgiveness, a bad attitude, a heart full of anger. When we see change coming, it is a good time to take stock of what is weighing us down, to lighten our load to free us for the journey, to help us get ready for the unexpected. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1)
    
2. Embrace the new. I can go into the Fall trying to fight it, or I can go ahead and pull out my sweaters and boots and cinnamon apple candles and make the best of it. In life, we can go into our struggles kicking and screaming, or we can trust God with it all. Paul found the answer. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)
    
3. Be thankful. To prepare for the future, nothing helps us more than to remember what God has done for us and to thank Him for it. Fall is a time of harvest, Thanksgiving. And it leads into Christmas, a celebration of the greatest gift ever given to man—Jesus. No matter what comes, we can remember and be thankful for the provisions by God in our past and be encouraged because He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. We can count on that. He has. He does. And He always will provide for us. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
    
4. Trust God. There might be good stuff around the bend, or there might be heartache. Either way, the winds of change are going to blow. Turn up your collar, lean head first into it, and step boldly toward the future. He is already there. As Corrie Ten Boom said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Praise the Lord! Children of God do not walk the journey alone. There is help for the journey and hope for tomorrow in Christ Jesus.
    
5. Pray. Ask God to carry you and your family safely through the next season of your life, one day at a time. Is there something specifically in your life that you have been praying for? Something that you hope will change in the next season? Do not stop praying.  God is faithful, and He will answer your prayer in His time. “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” Jeremiah 32:27
    

Prayer of David in Psalm 143: 5-12 

Dear Lord:  I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.  Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant. Amen

Have you been through seasons of change in your life when God brought you safely through? Are you entering a season of change in your life now? Please share your thoughts, comments and experiences.

Thank you for reading and sharing my blogpost today. May God bless you and your family and grow you to be more like Him through every season of change in your lives.