Fall Forward, Not Back…

We are in the ‘dog days of summer’ and the temperatures are holding steady at—HOT.  Summer is almost over.  Outdoor markets are bringing the last of the plush and generous harvests from orchards, farms and gardens that were gathered in the early summer light.  Their colors are beginning to wane and the fields are browning under the intense heat.

Community streets are quieting as school has begun and children are finding the boundaries of routine in early morning rising and afternoon study.  Others are seizing the last moments of summer to play in the sun.

Soon the long days we usually fill with projects, parties and playtime will be over and the night sky will tuck us into our quiet homes as the sun sets earlier in the day.  The earth’s northern hemisphere is moving towards rest—when it ceases from its labor of producing and finds refreshing in the cold season of winter.

Yet, before winter arrives, fall begins—it’s time for transition.  It’s when the leaves change color and drift to the ground.  It’s when the earth naturally composts the remnants of blooms, blossoms, fruit and leaves to nourish and prepare itself naturally for the next season.  And it’s when we plant trees and shrubs in order to provide opportunity to establish the structure and strength they will need for growth in the coming season.  It’s when we change the hands of time…. We fall back.

As I look over my last season, I am thinking of what was seen in the harvest—what showed up in my life and how it was stewarded.

The dream seeds we had planted over a year ago grew within us and brought the harvest of increase and change.  We have relocated—we left the familiar and family, stepped out into the unknown, and planted our feet in new territory.

Looking over the harvest calls me to evaluate what showed up and what did not.  What are the things I wanted to accomplish that weren’t realized?  How did I steward the opportunities and resources in my life?  And what could I have done differently?

No, it is NOT pass or fail.  It is NOT good or evil.  It is time to take stock.  What was missed in the harvest is now waiting to be embraced, turned into wisdom and used to nourish my soul in readiness for the next season, just like the natural compost nourishes and prepares the earth for its coming season.

So I am asking myself, “What do I want next?  Now that I am here in this new territory, where do I go, who do I touch and what impact do I want to make?”

“Success” is the incomplete answer.  It is too general—not specific, and unless I take time to identify and imagine, it will never show up.   What is success for me?  What is success for you?  How will we know when it shows up if we haven’t taken the time to articulate the outcome we believe is success?

Hollywood said it this way, “Build it and they will come.”  God said it this way, “Write what you see.  Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run.  This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming.  It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait!  And it doesn’t lie.  If it seems slow in coming, wait.  It’s on its way.  It will come right on time.”

So, I am taking time to consider what I want.  I am looking forward and articulating what I desire for my future season.  I need to build it in my heart and mind, so that it comes.  I need to write what I see in my heart and soul—in BIG BLOCK LETTERS, so that no matter how busy I become or how loud life gets, I can SEE it.  It will catch my attention and cause me to remember to make choices in line with what I desire.  It will cheer me to “HOLD ON!” and not grow weary in my heart and mind.  It will cause me to endure to obtain the things I want in my life.  I am thinking forward during a time when we usually, fall back.  I am making a decision to Fall forward…

Today, what has shown up in the season you are in?  What hasn’t?  Is there something you can do to bring change before it is over?  Is there wisdom and insight you can gather to use to nourish your soul in preparation for the coming season?  What do you want for your life as you look ahead?

Go easy on yourself.  This isn’t about labeling yourself as a success or failure.  This isn’t about defining WHO you are.  It’s about discovering whom you are on the way to where you are going.  It’s about gathering what didn’t get harvested to use as wisdom for the next season.

Today, take time to consider, to ponder and to articulate.  Write the vision—write it in large print and put it where you will see it through the business of your day. Begin to nourish your heart and soul with the wisdom and insight you have gathered.  Make a decision to think differently, see things from a new perspective or in a new light.  Nourish yourself.  Begin to dream the vision and get ready for a new season, a new harvest.  Don’t fall back, Fall forward.