God has his hand in preparing us for today

By Dr. Heather Bozant Witcher
Clarion Herald, Young Adults

Fall is here – despite the still warm and humid weather. It’s one of my favorite seasons, not only because of the cooler weather, but also because of the promise that fall holds.

As the summer light fades and autumn awakens, nature alerts us to the promises that stretch out before us. Slowly, my family has taken on the task of unearthing and replanting the garden areas of our new home.

We chose the timing wisely. In  the midst of the beginning signs of decay, there are still some astonishing blooms. Beneath a large and overburdened hydrangea, we found the blossoms of coneflowers and an unknown vibrant red lily.

Something about those flowers struck a chord. Those late bloomers seemed to beckon, to usher in yet another season. It was a reminder of two important truths: it’s never too late to begin again, and change comes in cycles.

Last month, my husband and I sat on the same back patio – overgrown and untended. We talked through the plans we had for the house; for our family; for all of the things that we have intentions of completing but wondering how in the world we’d accomplish those plans in the midst of weekend toddler chaos.

We also remembered that it was 15 years ago that we had met, in the same state (different city) that we now call home. Fifteen years. Almost half of my life has been spent with the spontaneous and silly man I now call my husband.

A lot has changed in those 15 years. Many seasons have come and gone. From still being a teenager, to graduating from college (three times), to moving from the South to the Midwest and back to the South, and three children later – we are, in every sense of the word, changed.

So often we hide from change or we run from it. We dig our feet deep into the sand or soil, and we burrow ourselves in – incalcitrant to the opportunities that beckon.

This season, with its golden light, its slight chill, its earthen qualities, reminds us that it’s never too late. Change happens – with or without us.

After all, what is change if not simply a question of readiness?

As I looked out on my children attempting to help their father with oversized gardening tools, I also saw flashes of our previous seasons – the gardens that my husband and I have grown together  in each of the homes where we have lived together.

The one thing that stands out as a stark reminder is the simple fact that in those previous seasons, I wasn’t ready.

I wasn’t yet ready for a home filled with the laughter of three toddlers; I wasn’t ready to begin this new season of a life that, now, seems impossible to imagine was any other way. And yet, all of the living that I had been doing laid these moments at my feet. God, after all, had the plan. In all things, he has made himself known.

Fall is the reminder of the promise that life – all of the years, joys, heartaches, mistakes – has its part to play. It is the reminder that, with each new cycle, we are better prepared because of the life that has taken root and continues to change.

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