October 6th 2008
Back in Australia I saw pictures, watched movies and saw beautiful scenes of Fall, with the incredibly vast and intense coloured leaves.
The way the leaves fall off the tree is like some sort of wild dance they turn until at last they lay gently to the ground and make this magical quilt of colours, I'm almost afraid to walk on them, I never could have imagined the beauty. Outside the window I like to sit and watch the leaves as they change from green to yellow to a golden deep red and then to a chocolately brown before they fall, and the sound that they make when you stand and walk on them makes you feel like a child again, I just want to grab an armful of leaves and throw them high in the air in celebration.
My wonderful husband has taken us to Storybook gardens in London and just driving past the trees was exhilerating but then to get out and walk around these magnificent trees, you do feel in awe of God, we walk around for ages feeling like children wide eyed in absolute awe and wonder, its funny, people are walking past us, looking at us as if we are from another planet, we looked like tourist and all I can think of is 'stop looking at us enjoying this beauty and look for yourself' but i surpose after a while year after year it may seem to not have the effect that it has at the moment on me. I hope I never lose this enjoyment of this wonderful season, it is uplifting and warm.
We wandered down to the river, Oh my goodness, the stones we sat upon were smooth and round, the reeds were overgrown and the geese were incredible, we sat there for what seemed like forever watching as the geese and ducks gently drifted down the river, with the background of brilliant yellows and bright reds it almost feels like a dream. Incredible joy and peace seem to drift over me and permiate into my body, the complete peacefulness of my souroundings, the glorious colours and the cool crispness in the air all seem to contribute to an absolute awe in what surrounds me, to be sitting here on the edge of this beautiful river with the most important people in the world to me and watching the awe and excitment in the eyes of my babies, having them sit so very still and quiet and watching there little faces, amazed at everything. This memory will remain with me always.
The thrill if holding a beautiful perfectly shaped leaf in my hand that is a vibrant red and then to bend down to pick up another one of equal beauty but so very different is incredible, just standing in the midst of all this makes you feel very aware of God's presence , to realize that the geese and ducks have no home but peacefully drift on the surface of the water as it slowly glides past the shore and knowing that they arent fretting about the winter to come, not concerning themselves about what there is to eat, I know somewhere in God's Word he talks about 'if he takes care of the birds of the air and the beasts of the field, how much more will he take care of you' and it feels like a slap to the back of the head, 'Wake up Karen' God is showing you something here.
The geese and ducks let the water take them, they stop and it guides them down further. I need to just stop more often and enjoy the beauty and blessings God gives me all the time. Why do I let the present feelings of Gods blessings be overtaken with the stresses of future worries, I am learning alot about enjoying the moment, not taking things for granted or people. I want to take in all that God has for me, all the little blessings that seem to shrink in importance when i rush about with all the things I set as most important. To appreciate my husband and children more and reavaluate what really is worth stressing about and what is not worth spending any more time thinking about, to stop getting frustrated and angry at things in which i have no control. To enjoy the moment, every moment.
If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant, if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.
