Autumnal Patchwork

Stitched together tidbits of a spiritual life

Though it felt like it took a long time for the weather to cool down, I was ready for soup season and blankets. I pulled out my sweaters too early and relished in the cozy comfort of those knits hugging my body again.

Photo by alex geerts on Unsplash

I shouldn’t be surprised by this craving. My little family is entering into our last year in Germany and there is a whirlwind of questions surrounding what comes next. We don't know yet and I can’t control what the Army will do. I need that hug when so much feels uncertain and a prayer for figuring out how to step over this threshold into whatever comes next. Thankfully,

Arianne Braithwaite Lehn

recently reminded me of this prayer from her book Ash and Starlight:

For Autumn time 

Gracious God,

I praise you as the

Giver and Renewer of seasons.

The earth’s rhythms

remind me of

your faithfulness…

your love….

your promises…

The sun rising each morning,

the leaves turning and dropping,

the stars peeking through

mists of morning gray,

then greeting me as

the day kisses night.

Amidst the cycle, I find

a rhythm for my soul.

I hear echoes of that

ancient and eternal place

into which you beckon me,

and I say thank you.

Oh God, how will you

show yourself to me today?

I am longing for

a closer connection,

a stronger fire,

a self-forgetting confidence

that fills me and makes me 

a whole, abundant person.

I want to find myself so full

of your loving presence

that it spills and splashes

over my life’s rim,

blessing and baptizing

every trip I make,

every meal I cook,

every task I do,

every person I meet,

every smile I share,

every worry I carry.

Thank you, God, for lifting me

over the threshold of this season.

May I watch for the stars tonight

and the sun tomorrow,

finding you in both.

Amen.

Here are a few things that I’ve been practicing in these cozy days of autumn.

Cozy blankets are the perfect companion for good books. In the midst of my own wondering about life and everything that might still happen, I picked up Parker Palmer’s On the Brink of Everything. It also feels a bit like a sequel to Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak which is one of the few books I’ve read more than once because it is such a gift.

I’m also eager to dive into Queering Contemplation which Building Faith reminded me would be a good book to read in LGBTQAI+ history month. And I only have a few days left to start for it to count!

Nothing nourishes like a good bowl of soup and I’ve loved trying some new recipes to enjoy with crusty bread and a salad in these autumn days. My girls have decided that everything should be pumpkin so we have had a lot of pumpkin this fall including this Pumpkin Soup with Leeks and White Beans.

We also really enjoyed this Black Bean Soup though we skipped the fancy crema and served it with cheese quesadillas.

I also cannot share this Marry Me Chickpeas and Orzo even if it’s not technically a soup. It is probably the best thing we ate this fall.

Sometimes, I really do need to taste and see the glory of God ladling into a bowl. I cannot always hold the possibility in the abstract.

Earlier this month, we made a paper chain to countdown to my daughter’s seventh birthday which is in FIVE DAYS NOW. I get this update every morning after she rips off one more piece of paper and it’s reminding me that when the world is uncertain and terrifying we need to pause to celebrate. Not just the birthdays. But celebrate everything like we did when we were seven with all of the joy that a birthday could hold. I’m trying to find things to celebrate every day even if it’s just to relish in the amazing golden hue of the leaves.

Behold the glory of God on my street in Germany just yesterday.

I’m not only nervous about my own personal future.

As with so many other Americans, I am anxious about what awaits my homeland on Election Day. My ballot is in the mail and I’m hoping and praying that my voice is heard but I am nervous. I so appreciated this wisdom from

Dan Harris

.

How to stay sane during a turbulent election

As you reflect on this autumn, here are some questions to ponder.

• Where did you find comfort and hope this autumn?

• How are you tending your anxiety?

• What are you finding to celebrate every day?

• What promises are you holding as the calendar turns to winter?