The Temptation of Change

BY : AVERI WHITMAN

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The air begins to feel crisp, the leaves crunch on the ground, the color slowly paints our landscape – long summer days turning to slowed, short autumn. 

With a new season upon us, we can look for opportunities to reflect and adjust where needed. Change is inevitable as the year shifts. 

To be honest, I am a bit addicted to change. I love evaluating and fixing and reevaluating and fixing some more. An ingrained state of “making it better”. I’m a “let’s start something new” girl, so my mind seeks out new rhythms the minute the morning air begins to chill. 

This is the way I’ve always entered a new season… hurried, ready for something different, driven to make a million lists and drag my family along with me. But with that, the days move on and my house built on sticks always seems to crumble. My plans and calendars and spreadsheets all slowly fade and weeks later I realize that I never followed through on any of my new rhythms. 

Go figure… because rushing into something never works in anyone’s favor. 

So here we are… the dogwood in my front yard is beginning to show tints of orange, and pumpkin spice is back at our local coffee shop. 

I have a decision to make. 

I can be hurried and attempt to squeeze every last drop of organization into creating a seemingly perfect plan or… 

I can allow myself to slowly move into the next season… listening to my body as it knows what is next. Deeply inhale the cool air in the evenings. I can prayerfully and intentionally reflect and give my body and mind time to feel the shift happening all around. 

I’m starting to understand that our bodies know what to do. We were created to adapt and change with the seasons. Lean into the things that support and nourish us in the process. 

As fall arrives and summer fades, it seems that the world becomes a little quieter… the soft breeze replaces the summer storms and berries. The flower buds make room for hearty vegetables. The shorter days allow the ground to cool, and the evening sun casts the most stunning golden hues.

A little slower, quieter, and cozier… maybe we should follow suit.