Autumn is officially here and I couldn\u2019t be happier\u2013it\u2019s my favorite season. (Candy corn, pecan pie, Mallomars\u2026what could be better?)<\/p>\n
Usually, though, I\u2019m so busy going from one thing to the next that I blink and autumn\u2019s over, replaced by lots of snow and giant, puffy winter coats.<\/p>\n
Luckily, one of my Guideposts colleagues shared this autumn prayer from Sr. Joyce Rupp. It\u2019s the perfect reminder to take time to sit back and contemplate the transformative wonders of autumn:<\/p>\n
A Prayer for Autumn Days
\nBy Joyce Rupp<\/p>\n
God of the seasons,
\nthere is a time for everything;
\nthere is a time for dying and a time for rising.
\nWe need courage to enter into
\nthe transformation process.<\/p>\n
God of autumn,
\nthe trees are saying goodbye to their green,
\nletting go of what has been.
\nWe, too, have our moments of surrender,
\nwith all their insecurity and risk.
\nHelp us to let go when we need to do so.<\/p>\n
God of fallen leaves
\nlying in colored patterns on the ground,
\nour lives have their own patterns.
\nAs we see the patterns of our own growth,
\nmay we learn from them.<\/p>\n
God of misty days and harvest moon nights,
\nthere is always the dimension of mystery
\nand wonder in our lives.
\nWe always need to recognize your power-filled presence.
\nMay we gain strength from this.<\/p>\n
God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain,
\nmany gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender.
\nWe must wait for harvest in faith and hope.
\nGrant us patience when we do not see the blessings.<\/p>\n
God of geese going south
\nfor another season, your wisdom enables us
\nto know what needs to be left behind
\nand what needs to be carried into the future.
\nWe yearn for insight and vision.<\/p>\n
God of flowers
\ntouched with frost and windows wearing white designs,
\nmay your love keep our hearts
\nfrom growing cold in the empty seasons.<\/p>\n
God of life,
\nyou believe in us, you enrich us,
\nyou entrust us with the freedom to choose life.
\nFor all this, we are grateful.<\/p>\n
Amen.<\/p>\n
Taken from <\/em>May I Have This Dance? published by Ave Maria Press. Used with permission. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n What are you looking forward to most this autumn?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Autumn is officially here and I couldn\u2019t be happier\u2013it\u2019s my favorite season. (Candy corn, pecan pie, Mallomars\u2026what could be better?) Usually, though, I\u2019m so busy going from one thing to the next that I blink and autumn\u2019s over, replaced by lots of snow and giant, puffy winter coats. Luckily, one of my Guideposts colleagues shared […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":30284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[136],"tags":[63,30],"ppma_author":[478],"class_list":["post-23287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-positive-living","tag-autumn","tag-prayer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n