This Fall Falls Heavy

Julie, Jack and I live in a pretty average tract home in Pioneer Ridge in Johnstown. Built by Ryland in 2007, the color is “beige on beige” – Julie wants to paint it a different color – but that’s just another thing I didn’t get around to this summer. It’s pretty average in every way, but it’s my 2,850 square-feet fortress of solitude and we fondly call it home.

What makes this home stand out is a pretty awesome backyard. It sits on a pie-shaped lot and the way it’s situated in the neighborhood, well, my neighbors aren’t right on top of me and I have plenty of room in back. You’ve probably heard me talk about it because it’s my place of peace. I smoke cigars, drink coffee and whiskey, read newspapers and books and magazines, watch the grass grow and the birds sing, talk with my wife and play with my boy in this beautiful big backyard.

And just a few days ago, I stood barefoot in the middle of the lawn and wept.

I’m on record as not liking fall. I’m a spring and summer guy. Sure, fall arguably produces the best weather Colorado has to offer. But winter always follows. I hate the short days. I hate being cold. I hate when there are no crickets to sing and flies to swat and grass to mow. But last Thursday’s weather was perfect so I took one last stroll – barefoot – snapped a few photos to share with you and thought I would try to write why this fall falls especially heavy and places that burden on my heart.

And I’ll do what I often do on the radio and ask you if I’m the only one feeling this way.

I often wish I could share the sights I see and the narrative that comes from my heart. We are surely surrounded by His beauty and grace and it doesn’t escape me. I feel like Louis Armstrong in that I see skies of blue and clouds of white, trees of green and red roses, too. And God allows them to bloom for me and you. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world…

Fall takes parts of that away. I know God replaces the beauty I enjoy with a beauty of a frostier sort, but still I can’t escape the fact that the frost comes for more than just my gardens and that this fall feels heavy.

This autumn, I feel like more is changing than the seasons. I feel like our nation, our state, and our communities are changing, too. That which was once held dear – individualism, personal responsibility, morality, civility – is now dismissed. The very institutions that made this nation great are under attack and as the frost and freezing temps come to take the leaves from the trees of green and the red roses, too, we must light a fire in more than our hearths – we must light one in our hearts. We must light a fire for one another, for our communities, and for the One Who Made It All.

Now, more than ever, I believe like minded people must gather – to pray, to share our hopes and fears, to lift one another up and encourage one another in our journeys.

If you’re reading this, you know me via one of two avenues – as either a radio talent or a community leader. I’m both. If you’re more familiar with me as a radio talent, than you know the jovial guy that laughs at Sadie way too hard and way too often. If you know me as a public servant, then you know me to take my role as representative seriously and as one who relentlessly pursues the truth.

I enjoy both roles, but lately I feel like I am being called to use my skillset to do more. I believe my calling to be two-fold:

1. To gather groups of people together. I feel like now is the time we need to gather – in person, not just virtually via social media, but “in real life.” I feel I need to gather like-minded people together to share our challenges and our concerns, to pray for one another, to lift one another up, and to band together to protect and rebuild each other and our communities. I need to bring us together so we may #PleaseDoGoodStuff.
2. I feel like I need to give you words of encouragement. To speak power into your lives. To remind you that you are intricately and wonderfully made in the image of the Creator of the Universe who is on your side and is your biggest Fan. He loves you and so do I.

Matthew 17:20 – “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

We need to reignite that faith – that belief in Him and one another – because we have mountains to move – and I feel like we have scant few seasons to move them.

NOW is the time to gather together, guard what we hold dear, and make all things possible through Christ and each other. This fall is heavy, but together we can lighten its load. Let’s get together and prepare for winter and for a spring that might be uncertain.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

If not, join me for coffee. This Saturday at 8:30 before the Kid’s Spooktacular. I don’t know where. We’ll find a place. Just tell me you’re coming in the comments below.

I love you. I believe in you. #PleaseDoGoodStuff!