Sign of the Times

It is that time of the year when local landscapes that routinely go unnoticed suddenly have a presence of beauty. A radiant variety of colors that gave no hint of their existence suddenly burst on the scene revealing a spectacle beyond our ability to duplicate or fully understand. What was not there yesterday, now is. Similar scenes will repeat all over our country at this same approximate time each year as a sign of the times. It announces a transition has started, in this case one of seasons, from greens and browns to all kinds of red, yellow, and orange hues. It marks a transition of a temperature ranges, types of climates and even the amount of daylight each day. These are welcomed signs for changes that we are accustomed to and anticipate their arrival. Looking over the spectrum of creation we experience many similar circumstances. Each morning when I now look in the mirror for my morning shave, I see a scalp that once was covered with thick dark hair. Now what exists is an odd blend of grey and white with little of it remaining. This too is a seasonal change, but one concerning life much like we all experience in some fashion. Welcomed in many ways, expected but arriving much too soon. We are surrounded by the signs of things to come. Expecting parents know the time of the arrival of their child is nearing by the size, shape, and activity of the mother’s abdomen. Most of us know the end of the month is near by how little money is left in our checking account. We all sense and notice the signs in our nation that things are changing politically, socially and in a general way that we do not fully understand but we see it and feel it every day. Over the years I have come to realize there are similar signs concerning my faith. For me the signs that my faith is not quite where it has been or should be are subtle. It starts with an unsettled feeling in my soul usually characterized by a lack of peace and accompanied by some worry/fear. That feeling is usually followed by a short emotional fuse. I become quick to judge, inpatient, unkind in general and insensitive to the those closest to me and those I care for the most. I do not like me when that occurs. I have found over the years that fear and faith cannot coexist. Faith displaces fear. That faith provides “the peace that surpasses all understanding” and it “will guard our hearts and minds” (Philippians 4:6). I have also learned my faith is my antidote for fear, it is my vaccine against worry. It seems the older I get the more I worry, the more I fear. The solution is to simply invite our faith into those areas of fear and worry. Waiting for some medical test results? God, you are invited into that place of worry. Stressed about family, finances, or the future? God, I invite you into those areas of my life. Sound simple? It is but our nature is to resist surrendering our problems to anyone, we would rather do it ourselves. That’s ok. I have learned that God will meet us exactly where we are when we are ready. After all, He does have all the time in the world.