Practice Gratitude: enJOY fall through the eyes of a 4 year old

Gratitude / Tuesday, October 21st, 2014

psalm 11824

Isn’t it funny as you listen to people chat idly about the weather, or read their facebook posts – People either LOVE or HATE fall. 

There’s no middle ground.

Either you enjoy the change of seasons, crisp air, and gorgeous trees, OR you dread fall and its daily reminder that WINTER is looming.

I have spent many years loathing fall and the coming winter.

I won’t mince words here. Winter is not my favorite time of year, it’s my LEAST favorite. I don’t relish the coats, boots, mittens, hats, shovels, salt, sand, wind and traffic jams. After the rough (no let’s be honest – BRUTAL) weather last year, it requires very little searching to find others who are like-minded.

But this year, I was stopped in my tracks by the way my 4 year old son SEES fall.  He views the changing weather and tree leaves as new and exciting, and is filled with JOY.

Having trouble seeing fall as a JOYFUL experience? You may want to try looking at it through the eyes of a child.

This MN fall season has produced more beauty, and has lasted longer than any I recall. In past years, it seems like the trees changed color quickly, and then dropped their leaves overnight in freezing rain, or snow, as winter simply plopped into our laps and was here to stay.

For weeks, I’ve been hearing my son exclaim from the backseat of the car that ‘those trees are changing’. He tells me which color leaf is his favorite, over and over. I’d love to tell you which color IS his favorite, but it changes day by day, and sometimes minute by minute.

He has questions about WHY the leaves are changing, how the change, why the green is gone, why the leaves fall off. While I LOVE any chance to give a scientific explanation, it has been my pleasure to also explain that GOD MADE THE TREES THAT WAY – for HIS and OUR pleasure.

We’ve been driving different routes, to see what wonders lie on different streets, and parking in random neighborhoods to walk a new trail. A few times I’ve brought my camera. We stop and look at all kinds of things, and we take photos of things from my son’s eye-level.

Most of the time we’re looking straight UP.

I’ll tell you what – from his point of view, fall changes are mighty wonderful, awe-inspiring, and make ME want to join in his exclamations of the glory of it all.

It is my JOY to listen to his observations of wonder. I’ve found MYSELF noticing the intricate details, the variation in colors and types of trees, and the glory of the Lord God who created EACH one. AND how he made them and put them here for US to see, enjoy and marvel at.

It is refreshing to remind myself that these fall changes are not only eye-catching, but changes that allow the tree to survive the winter and be ready to sprout green leaves in the spring.

Could ALL of this in all its complexity be CHANCE?

I just don’t think so.

In fact, by faith, I know so. 

Are YOU marveling at the trees? Or are you concerned that with every falling leaf, the season is fleeting?

Why spend time worrying and perseverating on the coming winter when fall is here NOW to enjoy?

The Bible is clear that we can’t stop the seasons:

“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” – Genesis 8:22

Today I drop down to eye-level with a 4 year old to look anew at things that haven’t been perceived with WONDER like this for a very LONG time.

Instead of dreading the winter months to come, I CHOOSE to be PRESENT, in THIS day, surrounded by God’s amazing creation, undergoing intentional change.

There is no denying it, the Lord has outdone Himself with fall this year. Winter can come when it will, but I will be grateful for what we have today; a sunny, 60 degree day, with crisp air, brilliantly blue sky and an array of colors, as far as my eyes can see.

This FALL, I am grateful for the season, and find myself getting caught up in the JOY and WONDER of it all.

“This is the day which the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalms 118:24

Thank you, Lord.

Here’s a few of the photos my son and I took to give you a FRESH view of fall from a 4 year old’s eyes (along with his comments, verbatim).

Red berries where leaves have dropped, in a backdrop of yellow
“Mom, look at those red things that didn’t fall off! Where did the leaves go and why is that tree YELLOW? I think I like those red things the best. Are those cherries? I like cherries”
Not everything is ready to change color quite yet
” Ooh, flowers! Those flowers aren’t changing yet. They might change someday too, won’t they?”
Even the fading colors are pretty
“Leaves! No green left. They look brown. I think they’re dead”
My son was amazed that while some leaves were turning brown, new flowers were still blooming
“Look at those brown leaves and how some of them are brown. Why are some of them green and some of them brown and some yellow? How come those flowers are still green and not dying? “
Brilliant reds
“I LOVE those red leaves, they’re my favorite”
Some trees are bare, stark against the sky
“That tree is dead mom, like the one in our yard, but God will give it leave next year, wont HE? I think God loves it”
Fall Yellows
“Look, MOM! Those yellow leaves are pretty! THOSE are my favorite!” (yes, these too, are his favorite)
Sun streaming through the clouds yesterday
“Look at the sun hiding behind those black clouds. I think it might rain. The sun is peeking out, I think”
Even the weeds are changing!
“Even the weeds are changing!”
Hardly any change yet...the fall is lasting a LONG time
“How come the trees are green over here?”
Red-orange leaves in the sun
“Those leaves are BRIGHT! Maybe from the sun”
Multi-colored leaves
“Look, those leaves are red but have yellow on them! They have 2 colors!”

Happy Fall.

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