God's Fall Clearance

4:37 p.m. Today's project was to take my Bible, coffee, pens and journal and sit at my front patio table, enjoying God's presence on a beautiful, clear and breezy morning.

I venture out front in my slippers and full-length house coat--reminiscent of Joseph's "coat of many colors"--and park myself at a small tile and wrought iron table at the back of the front yard, behind the Chinese elms and by the brick and cast iron gate to the back yard. Tucked back there in the shadows, I am effectively hidden even from passersby on foot, of which our street has many on Saturday mornings. My chairs, sturdy but not too comfortable, are made of dark metal and pretty heavy. With some of the winds we've had, that's a plus. One is covered with a darling blue and green "no-sew" fleece blanket from a Heart to Home class in Colorado a few years back, that originated from the classes of the same name that I still lead weekly at Calvary Moreno Valley. The ministry there paid Steve's and my airfare as keynote speaker, and blessed me with one craft item from each of their 20 classes.

The other chair has a loosely woven, light green throw on it, just enough to make it comfy. Those blankets stay outside in all weather, and dry out on their own after a rain. In the center of the round table is a very large round planter basket that could be hung up if the chains were still attached. The basket was the victim of crashing trees about four years ago, when a car and a truck collided at our corner and the truck ended up in our yard, having sailed through our street corner wall. (Since then, we had a tall, steel-reinforced brick wall hand-built for us by a great stonemason we know). Now the coco-lined metal basket holds spider plants and a sweet "string of pearls" succulent plant that drapes its pearls over the sides and onto the table.

Whenever I get the urge to take my devotions outside every couple of months on a Saturday, I can enjoy the street scene of activity and look at Box Mountain, Sycamore Canyon, and distant
Mt. Baldy if the day is especially clear, because we sit at the top of central Riverside. But today, a funny sight had my attention between paragraphs in II Corinthians 12: millions of bright yellow, orange and red Chinese elm leaves were piled all over the ground! Even more were still fluttering gently down in the breeze.

Last week, I made sure to snap pictures of the trees' resplendent, flaming display, because, as expected, the Santa Ana winds followed last Sunday's rain, and the leaves are history for 2010! Even though raking leaves is a chore, Steve was grateful to have recovered from his bad back by afternoon so he could make the yard spiffy again.

With such an obvious change of seasons as took place in our front yard this weekend, I can't help but think that it's God's "Fall Clearance," making way for winter as we know it here in Southern California. Fewer dry leaves mean less flammable fodder for the fire season. And the winter variety of grass that the trees were shading for so long can now get a nice serving of wintry sun. God's cycle is perfect. Isaiah 40:22 describes Him as "He who sits upon the circle of the earth."

There is a cycle for our lives also, if we are in Christ. We will serve Christ in each season of our lifes, growing and progressing from young, single, and single-minded believers, like those kids of mine who are in ministry and at church about every night. Theyare just like Steve and I once were. Young believers marry, have children, and serve by pointing our community to God's plan for families. We may not have as much freedom as our single friends, but have great influence all the same, because mature experiences build our faith and testimony, and lead to more responsible leadership roles at church. Nothing like raising a family to train you for dealing with all kinds of individuals you will be serving! I guess the family-raising and career-building years are like summer, or that's the way I've often heard it presented.

In fall, where I find myself, no more children are left at home, most of them are married or soon to be, grandkids are now on the scene, and it's a wonderful time for further reaches of ministry. I find that there is time to write, and the fruit of 30 years of walking with the Lord is really ripe now and ready for wider distribution. I can't wait for my first book, Galatians: An Exploration of Faith and Freedom, to come out next year! Will many people buy it? I have no idea. The marketing department at Tate Publishing will need to see to that. But, Lord willing, it is a first step of a career I barely dreamed would become a reality.

Fall has some difficult times too, for all of us over 50. Parents pass on, or become very limited in their activity; our own bodies begin breaking down. Steve is struggling with Alzheimer's, but he certainly has more good days than bad, by far. Arthritis is no fun, but it isn't enough to bog me down. There's too much living to do--and Advil works fine! Thank you, Lord for all of your provisions, including medicine!

Winter is coming just around the corner, I imagine, but the Lord will meet me there like

He has met me at every other stage of my walk with Him. "Can two walk together unless they be agreed?" the prophet asks in Amos 3:3. No! That's why I want to be in agreement with my Lord Jesus as much as possible. And since my human (sin) nature does not want to agree with God, I pray for His Holy Spirit to empower me daily.

I want to walk as Jesus walked in every season of my life!