Cooler temperatures and turning leaves mark the beginning of autumn. Although trees may soon be bare, there are plenty of spiritual fruits to be harvested in the fall.
"Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers,
we more than gain in fruits." - Samuel Butler
Abundance
For many cultures, autumn harvest is considered the most important and abundant time of the year. Bounties of fruits, vegetables, and grains are coming into season, providing sustenance throughout the year. Many celebrate with feasts and festivals to give thanks for the yield, such as the Moon Festival (China, Taiwan, and Vietnam), Yam Festival (Ghana, Papua New Guinea, and Nigeria), and several Native American festivals, all centered on the extraordinary bright moonlight of the Harvest Moon.
“The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.”
Psalm 85:12 NIV
The key to reaping a good crop, whether it be golden grains, coins, or light, is the steady give-and-take between humankind and nature. When we work in harmony with the Divine and tend the gifts of God, we receive an abundance of good in many forms. And, the more we perform labors of selfless love, the more we receive, for there is no limit to our heavenly Source and supply.
Balance
The fall equinox is one of the two days a year when the sun shines on the equator, and day and night appear to be equal in length. This fleeting balance of light and dark signifies the true nature of balance in our own lives.
Balance is a very sweet fruit seeded and grown from self-love.
Living a balanced life means maintaining a lifestyle that promotes consistent well-being of body mind, and spirit. Without balance, our perspectives become skewed, our energy scattered, and our ideals compromised.
Photo by Leio McLaren on Unsplash
But finding balance is not a permanent achievement. Like the equinox, we are not intended to be in static equilibrium because life itself is ever-changing. Instead, we are designed for constant state of balancing; adjusting to the variants of daily demands and desires while striving to enjoy health, happiness, and harmony all in as equal measure as possible. Balance is a very sweet fruit seeded, grown, and nurtured from self-love. And what defines balance varies from person to person, moment to moment.
“The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life,
acknowledge the great powers around us and in us.
If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man.”- Euripides
Maturity
Autumn is the seasonal transition into the final months of the year. We experience autumnal maturity at various times – the junior year in school, the midpoint of our career, or middle age, for example. But in our high-pressure, youth-oriented culture, these stages can feel more like the beginning of the end instead of the start of an even richer, more fulfilling experience.
Maturity is far more than chronological aging; it takes the ripeness of a seasoned soul to realize the greater meaning of our connection with and as One.
Midpoints are about our inner evolution and finding the middle way in our journey – the culmination of who we have been, who we are and who we are becoming with wisdom, peace, and purpose. If we only value the young, firm fruit, we will never know the juicy goodness of a ripened peach. Maturity is far more than chronological aging; it takes the ripeness of a seasoned soul to realize the greater meaning of our connection with and as One. Only when we mature can we become fully-integrated sources of love for ourselves, each other, and all the world in our own unique way.
Photo by Ian Baldwin on Unsplash
“Youth ends when egotism does; maturity begins when one lives for others.”
- Hermann Hesse
While the blooming glory of summer may feel exciting and full, the abundance, balance, and maturity found only in the fruits of fall can be savored year round.
© Nancy Noack and Mighty Oak Ministries International, 2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.