There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven Ecclesiastes 3: 1

What’s not to love about fall in the mountains? The scenery is breathtaking as the trees exchange their green attire for brilliant shades of orange, red, and yellow. The arrival of each day brings subtle changes across the landscape, and I’m thankful I live in an area where I can experience the changing of seasons.

Even the scent of fall is welcoming.  The woods exude a spicy, musky aroma unique to the season of autumn. On chilly mornings, the scent is mixed with the faint smell of wood smoke from the chimneys of homes nestled throughout the mountainside.

And who can resist the flavors of fall? What’s more welcoming on a chilly day than a pot of vegetable soup or chili simmering on the stove? Who doesn’t love thick slices of homemade bread dripping with butter? Apple pies, dumplings, and cobblers are always welcome on the dinner table along with pumpkin pies piled high with dollops of whipped cream. There’s nothing like fall home cooking to soothe the soul.

However, while fall is a beautiful season, I always feel a little sad when summer departs. I miss warm days, lighter clothing, and spending lots of time outside tending to my flowers. Fall is also a reminder that the frigid winter season will soon be arriving on the scene.

Seasons change quickly in nature,  just like the seasons of life. Like it or not, we must be prepared to adjust and adapt to new seasons. There is beauty in each season, but there are also things that aren’t so beautiful. Learning to embrace each season and focus on the beautiful moments, rather than the not-so-beautiful ones, is the secret to contentment.

I’ve recently entered a new season in my personal life. It came suddenly and unexpectedly. Two state police officers showed up at my door in the middle of the night on August 12th to tell me my husband of 40 years was found deceased at a truck stop in New Jersey. He was only 58 years old and suffered a heart attack while walking across the parking lot to his 18-wheeler. He had no history of heart disease, and there is no history of early death from heart disease in his family.

This is a difficult and unwanted season, but God has shown me beauty in this new season of life as well. I will share more about this in an upcoming blog post. For now, I am choosing to enjoy the arrival of fall and the beauty it brings.

I’m also embracing and adapting to the new season of widowhood. I know that even in this difficult season of my personal life, God is there, and he has a plan for my future.