This morning I was absolutely delighted that it is once again pumpkin spice latte season. This is my favorite drink and it only becomes available during my favorite time of year, fall. I love fall and I thought that I would share with all who read this post some of the reasons that I love fall past and present. Now I do realize that fall does not officially begin until closer to the end of this month, but the latte does symbolize its eminent arrival.
I think my love for fall came almost from birth because fall is harvest time at the Foltz Family Farm. Growing up we spent every Fall weekend that I can remember up at my Grandparents farm in Michigan helping harvest the winter berry. Winter berry can be found in almost every floral arrangement from thanksgiving through the new year and our grandparents grew and sold it every year until both of them had passed. I was a part of the production process from the time I was old enough to pick leaves and my whole family participated in the process. It was so much fun. We also use to take breaks to rake up huge piles of leaves and jump into them. I was quite the little dare devil when I was younger ( I don't know what happened). I use to love climbing on top of the fence and jumping into the huge pile of leaves that Holly and I made. We also use to go on walks with my grandma on breaks and she would teach us life lessons on those walks. My grandmother was truly a gift from God. She loved God so much and her family with all that she was especially her grandchildren. She always encouraged us to be who God was calling us to be. When I graduated from high school she gave me a bible and in it she write "No matter what the trails of life may be the lessons in this book will get you through. Know that God loves you with an everlasting love and He will guide you all the days of your life." The fall lessons my grandmother taught us and the time we spent together as a family having fun are why I have such a deep love for fall. We spent hours working together, cooking together, watching movies together, and playing cards. Those fall memories and those life experience have helped to form me into the person I am today. It was in those moments of family togetherness that I knew I was truly loved not only by God but by my family.
Although, I am no longer a part of the fall harvest I look back upon it with loving memories and realize that I am still a part of the fall harvest just in a different way. Now I am investing in and working on harvesting souls. In the fields, we nurtured the plants and the fields so that they would produce the berries need to have a good harvest. This fall I continue to work towards teaching our homeless neighbors the skills needed to find meaningful employment and I know that as I tend to the needs of the neighbors here eventually they will be ready for the harvest and move on to the next chapter of their lives.
This fall, I am also looking forward to having two service learning students from U of I, a trip to Rome, a vocations retreat, and hopefully a new roommate. I think you can see now part of the reason why I love fall so much. God has truly blessed me with a plentiful harvest in life through relationships both in the past and currently. I love that I do not journey alone, but have wonderful people with me in all seasons of life.
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