Falling Up

Fall is in the air. Winds whisper cooler weather and leaves crunch under foot. We even had rain! Now green shoots are appearing in the dusty dirt of our field. A pumpkin is on our porch and the chalkboard says, “Happy Fall y’all”. Guess you can tell I just went to TN 😆

I’ve been thinking about transitions as the seasons change. Letting go to have room to take hold of something new. Not working on a daily basis has been freeing yet confusing. Healing, resting, recuperating is moor less work. It’s hard to quantify results.

I like things I can measure. Goals to achieve and lists with items to cross off. I often played office as a little girl- loving pads of paper, hole punches, sticky notes, and white out. I was answering phones sometimes for my dad in his office at age 6 and had my first job (at my request) at 8 doing laundry for the camp kitchen. I could hardly reach the bottom of the washer. Productivity feeds my sense of worth and those roots go deep.

What really defines us as worthy? What makes us enough? We watch celebrities chasing success and showing us that the more you have, the more you can spend. What if nothing we did could change our worth? How might that affect how we live? Would we have more joy?

Today I read, Heb 4:16 “Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Grace, what a beautiful word. Balm for the soul. Because of His grace and mercy what I do doesn’t change my worth. I’m already enough.

As I drove Sonoma County backroads recently, I was delighted to see bursts of color on the grapevines. It reminded me of Jesus’ words, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I remain in you you will bear much fruit” (John 15:5). My “job” is to stay plugged into the vine- not to grow the fruit aka do more.

Grace can bring us soul rest. We are loved beyond measure and when we are connected to the vine, good things happen- not because of us, but by Him through us. The results are seen in the fruit on the vine, or the brilliant red, yellow, and orange leaves in the fall.

I’m grateful that God prioritizes rest. In His economy less can be more. I’ve often struggled with wanting to be able to do more. My old foot injury limited my abilities and the new neuropathy post chemotherapy has intensified my foot pain. Thankfully my medical team has some ideas and I’m busy heading to PT appointments and swimming all of which help. Internally I can rest that the important work happens in my heart, when I “remain” in Him even when life hurts.

As the leaves turn color may they remind us of the Source of our life. Let’s fall down before the throne of grace. In confidence may we know that we are enough and that we’ll be lifted up, receiving all that we need in each moment. In this way we can experience joy in tricky transitions or the winds of winter.