As I watch the final leaves fall from the trees in our garden – after a windstorm last night – I pondered on the reason for the season changes.

Some people view this as a sad time of year, but actually, it has some amazing benefits.

Three words come to mind:

• Refresh
• Renew
• Regenerate

Leaves, which, during the warmer times of year, were an asset (providing needed photosynthesis and coverage), during the winter become a liability when light is less, and could likely freeze with snow, becoming too heavy and breaking the branches.

If the leaves aren’t shed once a year, the tree could be seriously damaged, or even die.

If they don’t fall from the trees, we might be looking at dead leaves next season.

If the old leaves are not removed, there is no room for new growth.

Dropping the leaves allows the tree to solidify it’s core. It’s going through a needed cycle.

Sometimes we need to shed things in our lives that, although at seasons are an asset, if we hang on to them at later times, become a liability.

There are things that are core to our lives, and there are things that are extraneous. And at various seasons in our lives, these could change.

What is core in your life? And what are you hanging on to, or adding to your life, that is weighing you down?

Sometimes we need to take a seasonal look at what needs to change, what habits and other things need to be shed from our lives, so that we can make room for new growth.

If we don’t shed some necessary things occasionally, the winds of life may facilitate it for us. It seems to me that being a proactive participant in this is preferable!

Take some time this season to be refreshed, renewed, and regenerated. You’ll find the next season will be so much better.