Rays of Light

I am just brimming over with excitement! For the last few days it has actually looked, and felt,  like fall –my favorite time of year.  Joyfully, I have watched brightly colored leaves dance gently through the air, then land on the ground with the same delicacy in which a butterfly alights on a flower. The moist ground is now strewn with many beautiful shades of fall, and the air is finally crisp.

Every year, about this time, I have taken my children (while they were still young) to a pumpkin patch. It was our family’s tradition for the young ones to pick their own pumpkin and help bake a yummy treat of their choosing from its freshly cooked flesh. Nothing goes to waste. The seeds are roasted and the outer shell is composted. This is just one way that our children have learned to appreciate the bounty of fall.

Additionally, we also find ways to enjoy the simplicity and peacefulness of the fall season. For instance, when we were  ready to  pick pumpkins, we always choose a patch that was decorated only with articles from nature;  and included a hayrack ride and corn maze for fun. One year, the youngsters had to go through the corn maze to get to the pumpkins. That year my youngest son and I were the only ones who were able to go picking, so it was a great opportunity for some quality one-on-one time for the two of us.

The pumpkin patch was bustling with activity that day, and the line to enter the corn maze was long. Nevertheless, we patiently took our place behind thirty other people or so, many of whom were adults. As we inched forward through a clearly defined corner of the maze, I felt like we were being herded through a cattle shoot at a feedlot. Apparently my son felt the same way, because he asked me, “Why is everyone just following the crowd?”

Pointing to one of the maze’s many side paths, he firmly stated, “We don’t need to follow everyone else; let’s go this way!” Delighted that my son was confident enough to think outside the box, I told him to lead the way, which  he gladly did. It took longer for us to arrive at the pumpkins, but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless.

I have often thought back on that day with great satisfaction. It blesses me greatly that my children have learned to think for themselves, and that they are willing to take the path less travelled; especially in the area of their faith. Don’t get me wrong, my family and I are certainly  not rebels , but we prefer to let God’s Word define who we are and what we should do, rather than the status quo.

Those who don’t know Jesus Christ as Lord do not want us to stand out from the crowd, but I would like to encourage you to do  exactly that. After all, ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light (I Peter 2:9).

Very soon, countless  others will file off to their end-of-the-month parties to celebrate Halloween while their children go trick-or-treating. May I further encourage you, dear reader, that it’s okay for you and your children to be a bit peculiar and celebrate  God instead.  Culture dictates that Halloween is the best and most important part of October, but I believe that every month in the year is all about God and our relationship with Him. Whereas God is not particularly pleased with Halloween, He is not opposed to all holidays. In fact, God  appointed seven High Holy Days for the nation of Israel and the righteous gentiles who came alongside them. Three of these are in the fall.  Though the dates vary because they are based on a lunar calendar, the celebratory feast of Tabernacles is nearly always in October.

Some Christians believe that we should observe God’s Holy Days, as defined in Scripture, and others don’t. That is an issue that every person must decide for themselves. Either way,   fall  is obviously very important to God.  I would, therefore, like to encourage you, as we enter the fall season, to truly focus on God. Remember His goodness, and appreciate the beauty and the bounty with which He has blessed us.

When you see pumpkins, or cornucopias spilling over with fruit, and when you smell the aroma of baked goods, may you be thankful for the great variety of foods that God has given us to eat throughout the year. When you see the multi-colored leaves falling like a gentle rain, may you be awed at the wonderful gift God has given us by way of breathtaking scenery, which changes with the seasons. And when you see the barren trees and darkening skies, may you remember the promise of resurrection in the spring.

Finally, remember that Scripture instructs you (and me) to Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 5:14). While others are celebrating a holiday which glorifies death and darkness, may we conduct ourselves in a way that glorifies -and pleases-  Jesus Christ. If we refuse to follow the crowd they might just start following us! May it be so!

Postscript: Life can either be a confusing maze, or it can be amazing; the difference comes from whether you have a map or not. That map is the Holy Bible. If you have never read it, please do so. And if you do not own one, but would like to, jot me a note via the contact button and I would be happy to send you one – no obligation.