August 23, 2023

Have you noticed the morning change?

Over the past few days the mornings are cooler than they have been. The sun rises incrementally later each day, adding to the length of time it remains cool. Driving into the office with the windows down feels good. And I can almost catch the faint scent of autumn in those few early morning hours.

But it doesn't stay that way for very long. At least, that wasn't the case late last week and into Sunday and Monday of this week. Very quickly the temperature rose into the upper '80's and the humidity also rose. I spent most of Monday in my car, driving from one meeting to the next, and from one visitation to the next. The A/C would just start to get the car cooled off when I had to park and make my visit; only to climb back into a car that felt like it was 110 degrees. By the time I got home I was exhausted from dealing with the heat.

In the big picture, things don't seem to have changed. It's still hot and humid, and summer, while winding down (school starts next week), still has a hold on us and the weather. Last trips to the lake or the beach are still being made. Children may still be running through sprinklers. It still feels like summer overall.

But there are moments when we catch a glimpse of a seasonal change. There are moments when we think, “Fall is in the air.”

God works in a similar way. We look around and it seems things are as they always have been. Sometimes things are hot and humid and it's difficult to move through the oppressiveness. But then there are small signs that a change is coming. There are small, incremental moments when we catch a glimpse of something new, or of some coming relief. When the change comes, we are most often taken by surprise.

We need to pay attention to those small indicators that can make us aware a change is coming. Whether that is a little cooler weather in the morning or something that made you stop for a moment, if we don't pay attention it'll take us by surprise.

What would it be like if we weren't continually taken by surprise, but, instead, if we paid more attention to incremental signals that let's us know God is doing something different?

So pay attention, because you just might notice God working in your life sooner than expected.

Blessings,