This season is my favorite! I love the colors that surround us, the different drinks and food, and the activities that will bring our family together over the next few months. I am a creature of habit but there is something about the change that comes with Fall that brings me joy.
The last few years have been full of changes that I have not enjoyed. The trips that have been canceled, the loss of family members, the isolation and uncertainty have been hard. It's been difficult to see any beauty. But God never fails. During the hardest day, I never lost sight of God, or maybe He never lost sight of me. I was reminded that there is always beauty in ashes when we are living under His wings. I have witnessed families that have had some of the most heartbreaking losses choose to praise God, worship God, and trust God. It has been the most beautiful thing I have seen. The amazing colors of fall do not even come close to this.
As Village to Village continues to grow and God enlarges our territory, the diversity in it all is something I am so grateful to be a part of. The hard seasons have brought so many community people into our lives willing to give and do for others.
Recently we were setting up a home for a refugee family of eight. Because of the number of families moving to our area, we were low on dining room chairs. After asking through social media, I was able to get eight chairs! They do not match. They do not look perfect. But to me, they represent the different cultures, personalities, and diversity of people. God's people. This large table with its different chairs is a beautiful picture of God's family. He created each of us in His image with our own personalities, hopes, desires, dreams, and talents.
I would not want it any other way. The people I get to meet daily make my life richer. This Thanksgiving and Christmas season, enjoy the different sights, sounds, and smells. Most of all, love on your family and friends and make the most of every moment. Don't let the differences distance you, simply appreciate those that God places in your life each day.
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