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A Glimpse of Autumn

It seems that at the same time I think Oxford is becoming smaller and smaller, it also becomes bigger and bigger.
For example, the other day, while doing some errands, walking around the city, I recognized three familiar faces. It feels comforting to share a smile with someone, acknowledging one another and enjoying conversation. The masses of people and crowded streets are now an opportunity to run into a friend or professor. I am, also beginning to try new routes to reach my destinations. Backstreets and passageways show me much better paths. Recognizing people in a crowd and finding that certain streets connect make Oxford smaller.
On the other hand, Oxford becomes bigger each day with new discoveries I make. Just the other day, I went to University Parks to find some glimpses of Autumn. I was stunned. The park was enchanting, lined with massive oaks and other trees beginning to showcase their beauty for Autumn. The parks consist of about 70 acres to enjoy. Some sections of the park are divided into official sporting areas for the University but most of the green expanse is open for the public to enjoy. A river runs parallel to the park and I discovered a lovely bridge that brings you from park to countryside in an instant. I felt as though I had entered a miniature paradise. I walked through fields with grazing cattle, alongside an overgrown river trail, and stopped to let the beauty of it all envelope me completely. Here are some glimpses of Autumn.
Can you see the orange hues?
Seeing these lovely trees change color, I am reminded of the faithfulness of God. His cares for His creation. His trees experience the seasons with growth, color change, blossoms, and even loss. So, do we, His beloved children experience seasons. A commonly quoted comes to mind,
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather then, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a tie to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
~Ecclesiastes 3:1-8~
Whichever season you find yourself in, may you know that you still remain in the faithful hands of God. You never know if He has you there so that others may look at you and be inspired by the changes happening before their very eyes.
May you enjoy the Autumn season in all of its glorious splendor.
All my love,
Gennavieve

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