{"id":231,"date":"2011-10-12T06:02:00","date_gmt":"2011-10-12T12:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.195.124.95\/~redletu4\/bag-mulch-let-them-blow-away-or-just-jump-in\/"},"modified":"2011-10-12T06:02:00","modified_gmt":"2011-10-12T12:02:00","slug":"bag-mulch-let-them-blow-away-or-just-jump-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert\/bag-mulch-let-them-blow-away-or-just-jump-in\/","title":{"rendered":"Bag, mulch, let them blow away? Or just jump in…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
Fall is an emotional time of year.<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Walk along a familiar path and it\u2019s transformed by the sight and smell of change.<\/p>\n

There is the sweet aroma of fallen leaves in those desperate days between green and brown.\u00a0Adorned in a hue of orange and red and gold, the trees reluctantly drop and in their nakedness they sadly stare down at the ground.<\/p>\n

Drifting\u00a0in slow-motion, the leaves, one-by-one, cascade to the ground.\u00a0They gather together, stacked in\u00a0the unity of their fate, swept by the midnight breezes.<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
In my yard, I am forever raking the leaves into piles. I ponder the\u00a0question of what to do. To bag? To mulch? To let the wind blow them away?<\/div>\n

The allegories of the Creator in Spring are abundant \u2014 new life, new hope, new direction. But God in the Fall seems distant.<\/p>\n

Then I hear\u00a0a voice in the high winds<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are not alone. I will never leave you, nor forsake you. You are my beloved. Abide in me and I\u2019ll abide in you.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And suddenly I am inexplicably driven. An urge comes from the deepest passion of my soul.\u00a0I see the pile of leaves and with four quick steps I leap into the air, all my good sense abandoned.<\/p>\n

I am lost to the Savior.<\/p>\n

And on this day, I am found.<\/p><\/div>\n

Comment\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/em>here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

We would be most honored if you would consider subscribing to all future posts, just click<\/span><\/em>\u00a0here.<\/span><\/em><\/a>\u00a0You can always opt out later.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

\n\u201cWe spend most of our time and energy in a kind of horizontal thinking. We move along the surface of things, but there are times when we stop. We sit still. We lose ourselves in a pile of leaves or its memory. We listen and breezes from a whole other world begin to whisper.\u201d<\/span><\/i>
\u2014 James Carroll<\/span><\/i>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Please, share with a friend if you feel moved.
\nRead all past issues at http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fall is an emotional time of year. Walk along a familiar path and it\u2019s transformed by the sight and smell of change. There is the sweet aroma of fallen leaves in those desperate days between green and brown.\u00a0Adorned in a hue of orange and red and gold, the trees reluctantly drop and in their nakedness […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2375,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nBag, mulch, let them blow away? Or just jump in...<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Fall is an emotional time of year. 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