What’s So Nice About Pumpkin Spice? Why We Love Autumn

What’s the big deal about pumpkin spice?

Why do we get so excited about falling leaves and the orange, red, and gold of autumn?

At a recent women’s retreat in South Carolina, I was giddy with excitement over every tiny glimpse of color. I scoured the trees to discover a blush of crimson among the still-green leaves. I marveled at various shades of autumn color: scarlet, ochre, burnt sienna, tangerine.

Leaves crunched beneath my feet.

I breathed in the cool, dry air and fixated on the clear, azure sky.

Why should I get so excited about a few leaves turning color? At my age, I’ve seen scores of autumns.

Yet there I was, like the proverbial kid in the candy shop, feasting my eyes on the fall decorations—pumpkins and pinecones, gourds and chrysanthemums.

My taste buds craved apple cider, pumpkin bread, and spiced tea.

I know I’m not the only one who goes nuts over pumpkin spice and all things autumn. What’s the attraction?

A Time of Relief

Autumn is a time of relief from the heat of summer. And those of us who live in hot, humid climates must wait a long time for autumn, when we can walk outside without becoming drenched in sweat.

Harvest time is traditionally a season when farmers gathered their produce and enjoyed the fruits of their labors. For us non-agricultural types, autumn signifies a time of rejoicing with our families, as we take time off from our jobs and routines to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Some of us, though, have trouble allowing ourselves to appreciate a season of relief from our labors. In our accomplishment-driven world, we struggle to give ourselves permission to just sit and enjoy.

But if we stop striving, if we can spend awhile sitting in silence and stillness, we can experience God’s presence.

At the retreat, I read an interesting quote by Henri Nouwen from Reaching Out:

“Being useless and silent in the presence of our God belongs to the core of all prayer. In the beginning, we often hear our own unruly inner voices more loudly than God’s voice. This is at times very hard to tolerate. But slowly, very slowly, we discover that the silent time makes us quiet and deepens our awareness of ourselves and God.”

Useless??!!

Who would have thought it’s an advantage to be useless? I often feel guilty when I’m not actively doing something productive.

Yet all our busyness often prevents us from hearing God’s still, small voice.

If we take time to rest and rejoice with friends and family, we find ourselves refreshed and renewed.

A Time of Release

We love to watch the autumn leaves fall from the trees as the earth prepares for winter.

We love the change…the sense that something new is coming.

Autumn is a good time for us to take stock of our lives and release old habits, old sinful patterns, and even old responsibilities and purposes that are no longer suitable.

During my retreat, I realized I have some old, sinful patterns I need to release. I won’t disclose all of them, (there are quite a few) but I will tell you about one habit that needs to go: people-pleasing. God showed me that, instead of seeking to please others to gain their approval, I need to seek to be a blessing to them for their sake—and for His sake—without wondering what they think of me or wishing for a pat on the back.

A Time of Grief

Autumn is, in a way, an ending. It’s a time of preparation for the bleakness of winter.

During the retreat, I discovered I hadn’t properly grieved for losses I’d experienced. I’d been to several funerals over the past few years. And while a few tear drops had trickled down my face, I’d not fully faced the reality of the losses.

As I thought about the loved ones I would not see again, the fountain of grief opened up, and tears poured down in an unstoppable waterfall.

Like seeds buried in the ground, certain people I loved would be hidden from me. I could no longer see their faces, hear their voices, or ask their advice.

A Time for Belief

Yet just as that seed planted in the ground will sprout in the spring, those who have gone before me will be resurrected to new life in Christ.

This is the hope we have as believers.

So, as we enjoy rest and relief, as we experience renewal and release, and even as we grieve our losses—we believe.

We cling to our faith and believe in our loving heavenly Father. And we look forward to the good things He has in store for us.

We trust that in our times of rest, release, and grief, He is at work within us, preparing us for the next season, and the season after that. Preparing us for new growth.

The Real Reason We Love Autumn

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22 ESV

It’s not really all about the pumpkin spice, is it?

We love autumn for what it represents and for the feelings it stirs up within us.

Rest and Relief. Rejoicing and Release. And, despite our sorrows and grief, we hold fast to a strong belief in the God who created a beautiful symphony of seasons and promises a victorious finale.

Questions to Ask Yourself

While you sip your pumpkin latte or inhale the heady fragrance of an apple-scented candle, take some time to reflect on these questions.

1. Do you have trouble allowing yourself to enjoy a season of rest and relief from responsibilities? What might God be saying to you as you sit in His presence, useless and silent?
2. What old habits, old patterns of behaviors, or old assignments is God calling you to release?
3. Which losses have you experience lately? A loss of a loved one? A job loss? A loss of a relationship, or an opportunity, or an ability? Have you allowed yourself time to grieve?
4. Which promises of God are you clinging to in this season? Which seeds of blessing are you expecting to sprout in due season?

A Prayer

Father, thank you for the change of seasons. Thank you for the welcome relief from the heat, the stress, the drudgery. Like leaves drifting from the trees, we let go of the things that are no longer necessary and welcome the changes you bring forth in us. Thank you for holding us close as we grieve our losses. Help us always be alert to your voice and obedient to your word. And help us to find contentment in every season.