Catch the Wind

Ah, Autumn. It's a time when girls turn feral and break out sweaters, scarves & Birkenstocks, screaming for Pumpkin Spice and everything nice! All things pumpkin and apple start finding their way into the coffee shops and corner stores, and Bath and Body Works becomes extra busy. The "Ber" months are here, and everyone's calendars start filling up with holiday plans, pumpkin patches, hayrides, and family recipes begin being exchanged in the ladies' groups at church. Outdoor playdates are being made, family photos are getting booked, and Mariah Carey is currently defrosting. Meanwhile, I am thriving on my couch and thinking of all the ways to keep my calendar as simple and uncrowded as possible this year. In a time and season where I want to be fully immersed in everything, do all the things, and see all the people, and go to all the functions, the Lord told me to "Catch the Wind." Cool...what does that even look like, Lord? Well, friends, let me tell you. It means slowing down. And yes, I know I talk about this every year, but it's a good reminder to have, so don't skim over this, it's from a fresh perspective for this season.

Ew. Why in the world would I want to slow down, especially when it's during the best time of the year?! I am, after all, the Christmas Cheermeister! But here's the thing: it's not about me. It's about what the Lord wants to do in and through me. In my mind's eye, I saw myself as a leaf, clinging onto the branch that I've happily been swaying on, but now it's time to catch the wind. To let myself leave the comfy zone I've been in and go wherever the wind takes me. What does that look like? Well, I'm not so sure, but what I do know is this. A leaf has a journey; it leaves its tree, and it floats and flies about until it lands somewhere. And where it lands, it could easily be admired by someone who finds it, picks it up, and decides to preserve it in their favorite book. Or it could be raked up into a pile of more leaves to be enjoyed and jumped into by a child with eyes full of wonder and glee as they race to dive into the giant pile in front of them. Eventually, with time and season, the leaf breaks down and returns to the soil from where the tree it was on is securely rooted. I think there is something to be learned in all of this. No, I'm not saying that we live to die, though that is really what happens. But the beauty is the life that is lived between the beginning and end. I don't want to be so caught up in my own things that I miss having the time to invite a friend to lunch who may be struggling this season. Or miss spending quality time with my best friend and her kids, who wants to miss out on that childlike wonder, especially in the holiday season we are entering!? I don't want to be so caught up in my schedule that I miss complimenting a stranger because my face is buried in my phone while I'm trying to squeeze one more thing into my calendar. Friends, we aren't promised tomorrow, and that's biblical! Proverbs 27:1 says, "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring." -ESV. Don't you want to make the most of the day you are given? Sometimes, that means going against what the flow is for you, sometimes, that may put you in uncomfortable situations or doing something with the time you wanted to use for something else. Isn't that just like Jesus, though? Pulling us from our cozy spot of being on that branch and pulling us away to be used for His glory.

I don't want to miss out on the opportunities, people, and places that the Lord wants to place me because I'm too busy. I want to catch the wind and go where he calls me and love those who come across my path. Don't miss out on the moments this holiday season, if that means saying NO to something, that's okay! "No" is a complete sentence. Sometimes the Lord may lead you to the couch because you're doing too much, sis! You don't have to attend every holiday function, party, event, shindig, holiday whobie -what-y. Most times what the Lord has planned is far greater than what you had planned to begin with. So grab your pumpkin cold brew, or your hot apple cider, throw on your scarf, and let's be catchers of the wind.