Today, September 22nd 2021 is the first official day of glorious autumn! The onset of the autumn season brings so many happy feelings for me.

The crisp, golden months of fall encompass much more than just the changing of the beautiful colors on the trees, cooler sweater-weather, pumpkin spice flavored everything and cozy nights by the fire. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love all of those things. They are like sweet comfort to my fall-loving soul.

However, on a deeper level, autumn has a way of shifting my focus off of the hectic days of summer to a more relaxed home-bound nestling. My perspective begins to call for a regrouping as I reflect on the year I have just walked through, and mentally highlight the gratefulness and thankfulness I feel in my heart all year long. Fall is a time to slow down, settle in and rekindle the thankful fires of gratitude.

Gratefulness and thankfulness go hand-in-hand. One could even argue that they are one and the same. Yet the dictionary meanings give a different feel to each descriptive word.

grate·ful

/ˈɡrātfəl/

*adjective

Feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness

thank·ful

/ˈTHaNGkfəl/

*adjective

Pleased and relieved

Over the years, my intention has always been to keep these two adjectives placed directly in my foresight – weighing each decision, response and choice through their filter. I have also learned to allow them to season the many memories of days passed.

When I focus on being grateful and thankful for what the future might hold – knowing it is my all powerful Heavenly Father who writes my story – it is much easier to set fear and worry aside. And in a similar way, when I look back over time gone by and peer through the lens of gratefulness and thankfulness, it sprinkles a sweet flavor of grace over things I cannot go back and change.

Possessing a true heart of gratefulness means laying down our flesh-natured spirits of entitlement, selfishness or greed, and in its place, showing kindness and generosity as we encounter others. A grateful heart is displayed by the tone of voice we choose to express ourselves and is felt by those around us when we allow our appreciation to exude from our speech, countenance and lives.

In the same way, a true heart of thankfulness is evident when we reject the tendency to feel we are owed anything and decide to thank God instead; being pleased and relieved that He promises to provide for our every need. It means being thankful for what He has done, what He is currently doing, and what He is still going to do.

Amen?!

God’s word says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” In Psalms 106:1, David writes, “Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” And, The Passion Translation, Colossians 1:12 declares, “Your hearts can soar with joyful gratitude when you think of how God made you worthy to receive the glorious inheritance freely given to us by living in the light.”

Let’s embrace the autumn season for all its gifts. Cozy evenings, crispy leaves and the renewed focus on God’s goodness through gratitude – with hearts full of thankfulness!

Praying that each and everyone of you have the most wonderful autumn yet! May an abundant spirit of gratefulness and thankfulness wrap warmly around you all season long!

Blessings, my friends!

• Stephanie (and my grateful Golden Retriever, Allie)