A Shift in Season: Starting Anew In The Fall
How can you not love a box of freshly sharpened #2 pencils? Or a package of crayons that haven’t been broken yet? Or a lined composition notebook with nary a word written in it? So much promise held in such simple things.
September itself kind of has that same feeling of promise. We stand with one foot still in summer while the other foot steps...reluctantly? joyfully? cautiously?...into fall. A new school year has just begun, whether for our children or for ourselves, with so much yet to be learned. And the simplicity of summer gives way to fuller calendars and more regimented days. But what lies ahead and how can we make our days as bright as possible even as the hours of daylight slowly fade away?
I don’t know about you, but I like looking at the start of another school year as a second chance at New Years. Think about it. When the calendar flips over to the actual New Year, we’re in the middle of everything -- Christmas celebrations, school years, winter. It’s hard to start fresh when you’re smack dab in the middle of everything, isn’t it? But in September, everything shifts. The very trees seem to say, “Off with the old and make room for the new!”
Mary Williams, @creatingtolove.
I know I love the routine return to “normalcy” that our shift in schedule brings when the kids all start back to school each fall. It’s so easy during those lazy days of summer to sleep in (especially when your youngest is 10 years old - hang on, moms of littles, your day will come!) But, as you can guess, when I sleep in, that morning prayer time goes pretty much straight out the window. When I have to set the alarm to make sure everyone is up and ready for school, though, I’m much better about allowing myself that extra time just for me and God.
Or, maybe you’re like me and by the time your kids head back to school, your house looks like a tornado has blown through Barbie City and left all manner of empty water bottles and snack crumbs in its wake. I love that I’m able to keep my home more in order during the school year because I find that less mess in my home helps me keep less mess in my brain space which means more room for all the new adventures and excitement that come with the new season!
So, as we head into a “new year” of sorts, I encourage you to look at the simple things around you to see where the promise lies. Maybe slip one of those freshly sharpened pencils out of your kid’s backpack and buy an extra composition book just for you. Take note of the opportunities that arise for you to find some time for prayer, for reflection, and for looking ahead.
The Lord has so much to offer us in each new season, doesn’t He?
Meet Beth Williby
Beth loves to laugh (quite often at all the right AND wrong times) and is always on the hunt for the next great historical fiction novel. She and her husband of 22 years are working hard to raise four really good humans who will make the world a better place. She's a music minister at her church, runs her own blog and podcast (both named A Welcome Grace), and does her best praying through singing and feeding the people she loves. She and her family call Northeast Florida home. You can find Beth on Instagram @bethwilliby.