Seasons

Have you ever had that feeling when you walked outside one morning, or perhaps on your way to the office, that it was the first day you could smell the new season? Am I the only one? It's that slight change in the air that hits your olfactory receptors and says, "Fall is just around the corner."

I think I caught a whiff of it the other day. I know, I know, all my fellow Floridians are at this moment insisting that I have certifiably lost my mind. Let me clarify. It's not that we aren't still consumed in a stagnant, oppressive, tangible sauna of heat, but I think maybe, just maybe, I smelled that smell that tells you things are changing. A new season is on its way.

Then again, maybe it was all just in my mind because school started back this week for the fall semester and with that comes the whole back-to-school buzz about campus.

Whatever the case, in the more metaphorical sense, I think I've been able to sense that same pending change in the life of the Neely family most recently. There's a lot on the horizon that remains uncertain, and we've been managing that uncertainty for a while now, but something seems different.

Changes are happening fast for our family. Kendall and I talk daily about life plans, job prospects, relocation preferences, etc. Through it all, we know that God has a plan and He is control. And while it is a daily challenge to put that head knowledge into heart knowledge, there is something very exciting about knowing that a new season is around the corner.

Still, the place I can see beauty of a new season the most is in the life of our daughter. She has really started expressing her personality. It's as if she opened a door and found a new piece of who she is.

Even in the last few days, I have seen how much she is starting to enjoy life. A couple of days ago she started to clap her hands, she has discovered the glorious fun of rolling about on the floor, she's babbling and laughing a lot (especially when she gets excited to go after a toy, the dog, or the laptop), and she continues to let us know in no uncertain terms when she disapproves of the dinner menu.

When I drop Eden off at daycare, sometimes I linger as I leave to watch her through the window in the door. There is something very rewarding about seeing her crawling around, playing with her little baby friends and finding her toys of preference.

Jesus said to come to Him we must be as little children. I believe when we look at kids we see the reflection of Him, and as we love and care for our children we express love toward Him. There is something pure, something essential about a child.

And so, as I look at our daughter and the changes she is going through, I am reminded that just as we delight in her growing into each new stage, God delights in bringing us through each season in our life and the growth that comes with it.

That's the news for now. We'll keep you posted.