[God] has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. – Ephesians 1:9-10

One of the things I especially like about fall is how natural, messy, and out of our control it is. The visual changes significantly every day. The beauty isn’t about carefully cultivated gardens, manicured lawns, or pristine neighborhoods; it’s all color, falling leaves, and a certain wildness; fall looks its best when we stay out of the way, sit on the deck and sip coffee, or just go out for a walk.

So that’s what I did this morning. Walking Scout Labradoodle; coffee on the deck; checking out the “state of the garden;” taking it all in; listening to the leaves fall.

That’s right, I said, “listening” to the leaves fall. We first noticed early in the morning, when I opened the bedroom window and gave Rebekah her wake-up coffee. She thought maybe it was raining, but then realized what she heard was the pitter-patter of leaves dropping from the tall trees – and then hitting the leaves still hanging on to the dogwood by the window. For a few minutes it looked like huge yellow snowflakes. It’s a sound we don’t think we’ve ever noticed before in our lives.

There’s a real wonder in listening to the earth. The earth bears the handprint of The Creator. learning to listen to the earth is an important element of listening to God.

So find a quiet place sometime today. Close your eyes and listen to what the creation can tell you about God. Then simply thank God for the gift, and lean into the wonder.

Lean into the wonder – and then live as if such wonder has taken up residence in your soul.

– DEREK