5 ways Christian parents can redeem autumn in the lives of their youth and children

Autumn might not be everyone’s favourite season but Gareth Crispin provides reasons for this season to be a great opportunity for spiritual reflection in our families

Autumn always seems to get such a bad rap. It’s the poor cousin of those more popular seasons. Spring is so full of hope, summer is warm and full of holidays and at least winter has got Christmas and sometimes even snow! But autumn … well it’s wet, the nights draw in, the temperature falls and loads of plants die … great!

So is there anything good that can be said about autumn? Well let’s see if we can redeem autumn and help you and your children and young people find joy and hope in the coming months. To do that let’s reflect and act on the following five thoughts……

1. Refreshment comes from rest

In the autumn trees lose their leaves (yep everyday is a school day!). This is their version of hibernation; they’re saving energy. If autumn were a time of day, it would be evening, preparing for the night (winter) with spring being morning and summer the day. The youth and children you know will spend their evenings very differently but eventually they’ll all get ready for bed. It might be later than we think best, they might not brush their teeth but everyone prepares (even if only minimally) to go to bed.

We are part of creation and not immune from the need for good rest

Maybe autumn is a time to help us reset and focus on ensuring our youth and children get good rest. This could mean ……