The leaves have burned bright. But now, they are falling.
The birds are flying far away, seeking refuge in another temporary home.
The bright sunlight is fading into a familiar Pacific Northwest gray.
This is the season of cold, of drizzle, of isolation.
This is the time of stillness and waiting.
And yet, I find myself intrigued by the natural cycles that we move through each year. They remind me that we are dust.
They whisper to me, “Pay attention to what creation has to teach you.”
Pay attention.
I am learning that love is in the rhythms.
Love is in the familiar. Love is in the ordinary.
Love is in the losses that breathe to life new ways of being.
Love is in the mundane task which sustains us in spite of our ambivalence.
Love is in the rhythms. No season is empty of its presence.
Love is like the moon. It endures, it never changes shape, it never leaves.
We may perceive it differently. Or, miss it altogether at times.
But, love is an unfailing constant, in hardship and in joy.
So, as we reflect upon the coming harvest and as we enter into the chill of winter, let us not forget this truth.
Love is in the rhythms.
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Tiona CageTiona Cage, MSW, is the executive coordinator at a Portland, Oregon-based non-profit that uses the power of storytelling to break down relational barriers. With over 10 years of education experience, Tiona is skilled in guiding learners through an exploration of the intersection of faith, fear, and identity. With a background in intercultural communication and community development, she is passionate about facilitating dialogue that empowers individuals to recognize, make peace with and honor the image of God in themselves and in others. |