Autumn - Again

This morning I was teaching Zanna about the seasons. We were discussing what we like best about each season - the moments and events we looked forward to. It's so predictable, isn't it? It's Autumn and soon it will be Winter followed by Spring and most assuredly, Summer! There is some comfort in the monotony of it all. At least we know what to expect. We know when to bring the kiddie pool out, the rakes, the bikes, the snow blower. We know when to put away the turtlenecks, cozy duvet comforters, the Christmas tree! 


During Fall we look forward to apple picking at an area orchard, our weekly trip to the local Farmers' Market, a hayride in the pumpkin patch. When we see these things as just predictable, that's when the gift of it is lost.  I recall the thoughts of G.K. Chesterton in his book Orthodoxy :


Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged.  They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown - up person does it again until he is nearly dead.  For grown - up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony.  But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony.  It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon.  It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them.  It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.  The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical ENCORE. Heaven may ENCORE the bird who laid an egg.

I love the idea of the "theatrical encore" in heaven! That's certainly what the children and I did in our backyard when we discovered our mama bird's eggs - we danced around, hooted and hollered!! Don't we see things worthy of a theatrical encore all around us?!! 


How about the apple tree that looks positively dead and cold in the winter, only to show signs of new life in the spring. Little buds followed by sweet apple blossoms that ... gasp... turn into fruit we can eat? Bravo!!!!

I make an effort to bring this into our home as a centerpiece - may we never get tired of seeing what's before us and loose the miracle.

Our favorite regular outing right now is the weekly trip to the Farmers' Market. To buy our produce right from the growers themselves and enjoy the fresh flavors of the garden - do we just expect that the fertile soil will yield a mouth watering harvest? 

Bravo!!! Encore!!! Happy dance!!! Thank God that he never tires of making them!