Seasons Change… and other things as well

As I begin to see the leaves just barely turning color…before they go into full Fall transition… I am reminded that we live in a region where there are four (4) seasons. Each season has its own specific purpose in Nature and each season has a specific calendar date marking its arrival. However, very seldom do the seasons begin and/or end on those specific calendar dates, thereby leaving it up to us to manage our way through the changes of seasons, whenever they actually occur.

We are left to anticipate when the new season will actually arrive and how best to prepare for the changes it will bring…in temperature, in length of daylight, in predominant color, in appropriate clothing, et.al. When should we make our wardrobe change? When do we use the furnace or the air conditioning? Will there be anything unusual or unexpected this year we will have to cope with?

Good thing we have the trusty Farmers’ Almanac to rely on as we prepare for the seasonal changes ahead. Is it ever wrong? 😊

The change of seasons as we know them and as we experience them each and every year is never the same as the year before. Each year of our lives is like that, each year is never quite the same as the year before. O for some consistency and some constancy….

Well, wait! We do have a constancy. We have a loving and caring God, a God who will be there for us during all the changing seasons and all the changes and challenges we face in our life. God is with us and will be there whether we recognize God’s presence or not. Difficult times are nothing new to God. God’s love is there for us always. It is up to us to accept it. The God I believe in weeps when we weep, and celebrates with us when we celebrate.

The season of budgets and plans for “next year” is upon us. Let us embrace this season with gratitude for all the good things we have been blessed with here at First Presbyterian -Valparaiso. Let us build on The Sharing Table Project’s momentum and support 2024 through a commitment to God’s Bountiful Table.

First Presbyterian Church – Valparaiso is showing its vibrancy, its commitment to working in our community, its concern for missions both within and beyond the walls of our building. We have so much to be thankful for. Moving this congregation forward with an attitude of gratitude is what we are doing.

It is easy to accept that the seasons always change…why does it seem so hard to accept that God’s love is always there for us through good times and bad?

Blessings to all for a wonderful fall,

Jim Hubbard