It fits in the palm of my hand with room to spare. It might be the littlest pumpkin I’ve every had.
I chose several pumpkins—a variety of sizes, colors, and shapes—for outside. Several of them are small, but the two smallest are safely inside. They splash a little bit of fall in my living room. But I laughed at the silliness of them as I walked by. They grew outside with no problem. They will survive for a while, but cut from their vine, they will grow no more. Even on the vine, at some point, they would have started to deteriorate. Here I am, trying to protect and enjoy them, and I suppose I might be extending their life just a little (if there was a heavy frost or freeze soon), but their time is limited.
It’s one of the reminders I appreciate about fall. It might not seem like a pleasant thought but it’s reality. Time is limited. Life is limited. No matter how much we enjoy a certain aspect of life, it will change. We grow as we stay connected to a healthy life source, but our growth and life still only lasts for a season. When we disconnect, we might survive for a while, but we won’t grow any longer.
Watching fall reminds me of the spiritual seasons of our lives as much as spring. While spring is beautiful, we mainly focus on the start, hope, and vibrancy of life. The season on the other side is equally as important—whether it is the end of our life in totality or the end of a particular cycle within our life. Fall is full of beauty and fulfillment. It embraces hope with a different vibrancy than spring.
My small pumpkin reminds me of the importance of fall. It reminds me of a beauty and attention to detail that fall invites. It reminds me there is a season for everything. We can’t have it all in any one season. Yet we can welcome and embrace the beauty and opportunity of each season—if we stay alert to hope and are willing to change as needed.
Pure Purpose 