The Season of Reverence and Awe

I can't go outside without being thankful for God's Creation. Everywhere, God has created beauty and intrigue. I am amazed by the colors and textures, patterns and shapes that make up our Earth. Fall is a beautiful time of year to examine the wonders of God.

First the leaves on the trees become brilliant bouquets of color. Then the trees shed their leaves, creating carpets of reds, yellows, and browns on the lawns below, before becoming bare for winter. The grasses proudly wave their blooms in the wind, bowing as the breezes pass through.

The frost touches plants, leaving them with brown and wilted leaves, as they succumb to the approaching cold. Fields become barren after the harvest is gathered and stored safely away. And the task of preparing the grounds for winter is completed.

Saylorville Lake turns from a hustling recreation area to an empty marina with boats brought to the land and covered in blue protective shells. The lake has returned to a haven for migrating birds and wildlife. The shimmering water surface reflects the sunlight and the colors of the sky, morning and evening.

"Let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe," (Hebrews 12:28 NIV).

There is such an abundance of beauty in nature walks this season. Leaves crunch under your feet or they skate over acorns and walnuts. Squirrels scamper from ground to tree, burying their harvest. Deer gracefully prance across open fields to hide in the wooded protection. The pleasant fall days give way to nippy chills that bite at your nose, warning of winter's approach; or are taken over by the angry north wind that slips under your scarf and chills you to the bone.

Thank you, God, for filling our surroundings with such beauty. We praise You for Your amazing creativity and immense variety in nature and in human beings. Help us have hearts and minds that celebrate individuality and uniqueness in nature and in all things. We praise You with our whole beings. Amen.