Autumn has officially arrived – or so the calendar says. But here in Louisiana, it takes a little imagination to actually believe that fact.
The first week of fall often looks a lot like the last week of summer: 90-degree afternoons (or thereabouts), sticky humidity and evenings when flip-flops and T-shirts are still the dress code of choice. The trees remain stubbornly green, and those picture-perfect shades of red and gold we see in postcards belong to some other part of the country.
Still, there are signs. Pumpkins appear on doorsteps and pile up in grocery store bins. Pumpkin spice shows up in everything from lattes to candles – though half of us are still not quite sure what “pumpkin spice” actually is. These little signals whisper that change is on the horizon, even if it hasn’t fully settled in yet.
Isn’t that often how life works? We recognize a new season before it fully arrives. We sense God’s nudging us toward change, but the outward signs lag behind. We may still feel caught in summer’s heat while autumn’s coolness is promised but not yet visible.
Scripture speaks of this tension between the seen and the unseen, the now and the not yet. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” Sometimes the season has shifted, even if the thermometer hasn’t caught up.
The Bible often ties autumn to harvest and rain. Deuteronomy 11:14 promises that God will send “autumn and spring rains” so his people can gather grain and other crops. Jeremiah 5:24 calls us to remember the Lord, “who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.”
These verses remind us that autumn is about more than cooler air or colored leaves. It’s about gathering. It’s about reaping what has been sown. It’s about recognizing God’s faithful provision.
Maybe you are in a personal autumn right now – a time of harvest. Years of work, effort or prayer may finally be producing fruit. Or perhaps your autumn looks more like the Louisiana version – where the fruit is promised but not fully visible yet. You trust God’s timing, even when the calendar says “fall” but your experience still feels like summer.
Autumn also brings a lesson in letting go. The leaves’ bright display signals not only beauty but also change and release. The leaves don’t cling forever; they trust the cycle God created. In the same way, we may be called to release burdens, regrets or even familiar roles. That kind of surrender can be bittersweet, but autumn teaches us that letting go makes space for rest, renewal and new growth to come.
And then there’s gratitude. Autumn traditions remind us to gather around tables, to be grateful for the fellowship of family and friends, and to pause and thank God for his gifts. James 1:17 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above.” Whether your blessings come in armfuls or in smaller, humbler ways, each one can be received with thanksgiving. Just as farmers gather crops with thanksgiving, so we can gather the blessings of each day and lift them to God with grateful hearts.
So as pumpkins brighten porches and pumpkin spice fills the air – even if the thermometer indicates otherwise – let’s allow autumn to remind us of life’s deeper rhythms. Each segment of the calendar has its promise, its challenge and its gift. Through them all, God remains faithful, guiding us step by step as the seasons unfold.
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Sallie Rose Hollis lives in Ruston and retired from Louisiana Tech as an associate professor of journalism and the assistant director of the News Bureau. She can be contacted at sallierose@mail.com.
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