9 Faith-Filled Ways to Embrace Joy and Awe This Fall Season
Spiritual Life
Audio By Carbonatix
By Whitney Hopler, Crosswalk.com
The spectacular display of leaves changing colors during the fall is a natural masterpiece that happens by God’s design. Make a point to enjoy it. Take a walk through a local park, drive down a country road lined with trees, or just gaze out a window at the colorful trees around you. Notice the complex details of how the colors appear, like how a single maple leaf can hold shades of yellow, orange, and red all at once. Think about the wonderful chemical process inside each tree that produces these colors. As the trees prepare for the upcoming winter by conserving their energy and resources, they slow down how much green pigment chlorophyll they produce for photosynthesis, and other pigments appear. As you marvel at the changing leaves, reflect on Isaiah 55:12: “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” When the wind blows through the colorful leaves and you hear them rustling, think of that sound like them clapping their hands in praise. Allow the beauty of fall leaves to fill you with a sense of awe for the God who “has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
1. Marvel at the changing leaves:
2. Savor the flavors of the harvest:
The fall harvest brings an abundance of delicious seasonal foods. Visiting an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch can be fun and help you connect to the ways God provides for you through the land. When you bite into a juicy apple you picked yourself or bake a pie with a pumpkin from a local farm, eat them mindfully by reflecting on how God’s awe-inspiring design for growing food has given you this enjoyable experience. Foods from the fall harvest are physical reminders of God’s faithfulness. Psalm 104:14 points out that God “… makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate – bringing forth food from the earth.” Every apple, pumpkin, squash, and more from the fall harvest is a gift from God! So, sip warm apple cider, eat roast vegetables, and enjoy pumpkin pie for dessert. Let the comforting flavors of fall help you taste God’s goodness.
Photo credit: Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/ Olga Rolenko
3. Breathe in the invigorating cool air:
You can renew your energy by breathing in fall’s cool air and letting it wake up your senses and clear your mind. Your breath is a gift from God. Genesis 2:7 reveals that when God created the first human being, he “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” You can connect with God through your breathing by incorporating your breath into your prayers. For example, you can take a deep breath in through your nose and feel the cool fall air fill your lungs. Then exhale slowly and release your stress and worries to God, trusting God to help you with everything you need. In 1 Peter 5:7, the Bible encourages you to give God your concerns: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” You can also feel joy and awe when you feel the fall wind and let it remind you of the Holy Spirit, who Jesus describes in John 3:8 to be like a wind. Enjoy being energized and inspired by the fall air whenever you’re outside during this season.
4. Go on nature adventures outside:
The comfortable temperatures and stunning scenery of fall make it an ideal time to get outside and explore God’s creation. So, enjoy some nature adventures! Disconnect from your screens and reconnect with your Creator. Go for a hike on a wooded trail and listen to the crunch of fallen leaves under your feet. Take a bike ride along a scenic path. Visit a local park or farm for a fall festival. As you pay attention to the inspiring details outside, you’ll see the incredible wisdom of how God has designed nature and feel joy and awe in the process. God has given everything a good purpose. Job 12:7-9 declares: “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?” Let the natural beauty of fall teach you more about your powerful and creative Heavenly Father.
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5. Find comfort in the blessing of simple pleasures:
As the temperatures drop, you can enjoy a sense of coziness for well-being, which is known worldwide by the Danish term “hygge”. The feeling of comfort comes from simple pleasures God allows you to experience in your daily life. This is the season to pull out your favorite warm sweaters and fuzzy socks. It’s also a great time to light a scented candle and curl up on a sofa with a good book and a cup of tea or hot chocolate. Creating a cozy and peaceful atmosphere in your home gives yourself a place of rest and refuge from the world’s busyness. This can help you feel joy and awe by reminding you of the ultimate spiritual comfort God gives you. Psalm 29:11 promises: “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” When you wrap yourself in a warm blanket at home this fall, think of it as being covered in God’s loving and protective peace.
6. Gaze at the stars:
Clear fall nights often give you good weather conditions for stargazing. The stars in the night sky appear brighter and closer than during the summer, when there’s more humidity in the air. Stargazing can help you feel joy and awe from seeing God’s glory reflected in the sky. Psalm 19:1 points out: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” On nights that aren’t cloudy (especially when the moon isn’t out), drive to a location away from city lights and enjoy stargazing there. As you gaze at the countless stars scattered across the dark expanse of the sky, you can’t help but feel small, which will lead you to feel a powerful sense of awe for God as your Creator, and the Creator of everything you see. Psalm 147:4 says that God “determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” (Psalm 147:4). Isn’t it wonderful that the same God who created the huge cosmos also knows you well. God knows you completely and loves you unconditionally! Stargazing can be a way to worship God with wonder as you think about God’s infinite power and his personal care for you.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Anastasiia Krivenok
7. Connect with loved ones:
As you share the beauty of the fall season with your family and friends, you can feel even more joy and awe together. Enjoy the season and seek inspiration together through simple fall practices like getting together for a meal and roasting marshmallows for dessert or playing a board game inside a cozy living room on a rainy afternoon. God created you for community, so enjoy fall with the people you love, and give each other the help and encouragement you all need. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 points out: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls, one can help the other up.” Reach out to a neighbor you haven’t spoken to in a while. Call a family member who lives far away. Host a simple dinner you’ve been thinking about hosting. As you do, you’ll enjoy experiencing love in action during this beautiful season.
8. Practice gratitude:
Fall is the season for the Thanksgiving holiday, so it’s a great time to develop a habit of practicing gratitude. Gratitude is a discipline of focusing on what you have rather than what you lack. The more you thank God for your blessings, the more blessings you’ll notice showing up in your life. Start a gratitude journal this fall, and each day, write down three to five blessings for which you’re thankful. The blessings can be big gifts like your health or your family, or small gifts like how you laughed about something with your children or enjoyed listening to a particular song. Practicing gratitude rewires your brain to notice the good that’s all around you, which is a direct reflection of God’s goodness. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, the Bible encourages you to live a lifestyle of gratitude: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Notice that it says to give thanks in all circumstances, not for all circumstances. Even on difficult days, you can still find something to be grateful for. So, this fall, give thanks regularly and you’ll experience joy and awe in the process.
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9. Embrace the call to rest and reflect:
Just as trees let go of their leaves in the fall, you can let go of your stress during fall by including time in your schedule regularly to rest and reflect. As the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer, you can use these longer evenings to think about the year that has passed so far. Reflect on what you enjoyed, what challenged you, how you’ve grown spiritually, and the areas where you still need to grow. Jesus understood the importance of rest and often withdrew to quiet places to pray. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus invites you to: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” This fall, accept his invitation. Let go of the pressure to be constantly busy and productive. Allow yourself times of stillness to feel joy and awe in God’s presence.
In conclusion, the fall season is a special time filled with opportunities for you to discover the wonder of God’s work in your life every day. This will lead you to a deeper connection with God and help you experience both joy and awe. Let the beautiful fall season remind you of how God is constantly pouring blessings into your life and inspire you to celebrate that reality!
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