Nothing Gold Can Stay

This week the seasons turned from Summer to Fall (except in Montana, which went straight to Winter). The temperatures are cooler, the days are shorter, and the leaves are turning. But even this will change. I always find myself drawn to a Robert Frost poem at this time of year:

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

“Nothing gold can stay”

Nature helps me remember that from the very beginning of creation, God set in motion a world that changes. The cycle of birth/death/rebirth is a constant sacred rhythm in the world and in our lives. Why is it that change, then, is so hard for so many of us?

The Hebrew people faced many changes as they encountered enslavement, wilderness wandering, and liberation. As they journeyed in the wilderness, there was so much complaining by the people: reaching for liberation is hard and uncomfortable. The people longed for the security of enslavement rather than the uncertainty they faced as they wandered looking for the Promised Land.

How often do you want to stay in the secure and known, whether or not it is healthy and life-giving, rather than open yourself up to the change that can bring you new life and freedom?

Moses prepares Joshua for a change as he is to take up the mantel of leadership from Moses:

“God is striding ahead of you. God’s right there with you. God won’t let you down;  God won’t leave you. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t worry.” (Deuteronomy 31:8 The Message)

Change is a constant in life. Can we take heart in these words of Moses? When faced with an uncertain future, can you remember that God is with you, is ahead of you, and will never leave you? So fear not! Pour yourself fully into the future God desires for you!