The colors are welcoming me into this season. Oh the colors I have seen on my visit to North Carolina. The oranges and reds are vibrant and bold. It was kind of the Lord to allow me to spend half of the season of gratitude in North Carolina. Courtney writes to you from a cozy home tucked in Charlotte. This place is home to dear friends who allowed me to stay between my two school set. And so it begins, the pursuit to gratitude. The Lord has taken my drooping heart and softly, tenderly reminded me of His kindness through using His people.
Can I be honest with you? I have been in quite a funk toward the end of October. But that attitude was not going to be welcomed in the month of November. Tension rose in my heart as I battled emotions and circumstances that greatly overwhelmed this human. But God had already won that emotion and raised a banner of victory over my heart. Fear swept through my mind as I boarded a plane along with worst case scenarios. Clutching the armrest with the window shade closed, Courtney did what she could to control the situation. With peppermint oil on her nose and stress away on her neck, she released her grip. But God is the Lord of Peace who brings rest to those in affliction.
Now let me pause here.
On November 8, I took time to myself. This was the first time that I allowed myself to really sit, read and dose in and out of sleep. I would read long enough to fall asleep. Then I would gently wake up to fall right back to sleep again on the couch. I realized that I have not experienced this pace in quite some time. I told God that I wanted to work on the hush of my thoughts and my heart. There was tension of course but I aimed for the peace that silently made its way into my mind that day. That Thursday, I had nothing to prove, nothing to do and nothing to accomplish. Yes, I completed some work and took some phone calls, but ultimately, I was able to rest. My goodness, who knew that I could even have a hour long enough to call my dearest Aunt Peggy. It is amazing what a day can look like when we give ourselves the ability to choose.
November has now wrapped itself up and the end of the year is approaching. I will choose gratitude well beyond Thanksgiving and well into the season ahead. As I drive around Dallas, the leaves are vibrant and captivating. Sweetly though, they serve as a reminder that we truly are in a season. As they fall, as they die, let the leaves remind you of your current season.
