I love the season of Fall. The weather in the south finally becomes bearable. The leaves begin to change, and the outdoors seem to become a place of adventure. If you know me, you know that I love to be outdoors. I love to exercise outside (no gym membership for me please). Hiking, camping, fishing, sitting out on my porch in the cool air, I just love to BE outside this time of year. It’s not too cold. It’s finally not too hot. There is just something about being outside and taking on adventure this time of year. 

I like to believe the Bible agrees with me on this. The Psalms celebrate the beauty of God’s creation, and I feel like the writer was standing outside during the season of fall when they wrote Psalm 96: 11-12. “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.” 

If you are paying attention outdoors during this time, you’ll also notice how the animals seem to be a little extra active. My dog certainly has been noticing when we go on walks. The squirrels are storing up their food for the winter, the birds can be seen making their migration south, and all sorts of other animals are out and about scurrying around to prepare for what’s ahead later in the year. They seem to just know what they need to do to prepare. Psalm 104: 24-25 says, “O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom, you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures.  Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small.” 

I love it outdoors this time of year because it seems like the changing of seasons points to someone bigger than myself that is in control. The scenery points to a creator that has prepared the trees and animals with the skills to navigate these changes. It’s a time of the completion of the harvest. A time where we recognize how we humans are utterly dependent on our creator to bring about such a harvest, and how we are utterly dependent on God for our day-to-day provisions. I challenge you to take notice of the shifting seasons during these days of fall. Embrace the changing leaves, admire the animals scurrying about making their preparations for winter, and thank God for his provision in our lives.

By Rev. Gavin Spell, Minister to Students