I began writing this post in November, but I was not ready to share all the change to come in my own life yet. So Ive been working on this one for a few months, and it’s finally time to share.
In October, I was driving through Eastern Kentucky and saw the beauty in the trees around me. As the colors shifted from vibrant green to reds, yellows, and oranges, I began to reflect on the way we typically think about the autumn season.
I often find myself in conversations about favorite seasons. Many say spring is their favorite, with their reasoning being that it signals renewal and life. My answer has always been autumn, which is often met which remarks about how it reminds people of death and decay. I’ll be honest, at one point in my life, that was exactly why I loved it. It served as a reminder that one day all that was this life would pass away. That I would not have to live here on this Earth forever. I know, that seems dark and depressing, and it was meant to be.
This year however, I had a shift in perspective. As I drove through the winding hills of eastern Kentucky and into North Carolina, I thought of how beautiful the changing of the leaves was. And as I continued in my trip, I was reminded that change is sometimes necessary for God to complete his work. Autumn is still my favorite season, but my reasoning has changed. Autumn reminds me that there is beauty in change. That as the life I lead shifts through the years, beauty and goodness are being created.
After spending countless hours thinking about this, a writer I follow, Hannah Brencher, sent out a Monday Club email about birds molting. She talked about how birds must shed their feathers and grow new ones. The old must be released for the new in order to continue in their flight. All of us, birds and humans alike, have to shed the old sometimes to make room for the next adventure we are called to.
So as we enter now into a new year, take peace in the changing of the seasons, knowing the God is working through the change. He will take the hardest parts and make them beautiful. And as autumn changes to winter, we remember that soon the spring will come again, bringing with it life and renewal. A cycle of never-ending change that points us onward.
This is a peace I have had to hold close to my heart the past few months. At the end of October, I made the decision to move to Raleigh, NC in 2025. There are still many things to figure out in regards to that, but I am comforted by the reminder that this big change is the way the Lord is using me in this season of life. Change scares me. But I will do it scared. And I will do it with an all consuming peace because I know who holds me through it all.
There will be so many updates to come about this new adventure, but for now I will leave you with the reminder that sometimes change is necessary. As Hannah Brencher said “I know it's a little scary, but you can make room for new things to grow. You can believe something more is coming your way. And that might mean opening up your hands and releasing the grip to prepare for the great What's Next.”
You can find more from Hannah Brencher here.