I bundled up in my winter coat and mittens for my walk across campus just now. It’s finally feeling like autumn! I scan the ground and sadly find no acorns; the ones I do find seem smaller than usual. Why no acorns?
I learn that acorn production depends upon the previous spring and summer weather conditions. When it’s too hot or too dry, the oak trees conserve energy by limiting energy towards fall acorn production for the next season. In other words, when you look at an acorn, you’re looking at the weather conditions from the month before.
I think about this as the autumn wind cools my face. We did have a hot, dry summer. Spring maybe didn’t create the best conditions either. This all makes sense now.
I remember this:
Sometimes, when we don’t feel we’re in a productive or meaningful season of life, it’s because of what we’ve just been through. We think we must produce wonderful work because conditions seem right and perfect now. But really, it’s not now that matters. It’s what we just came through that matters for our fruitfulness.
We’ve been through so much since 2020. Just because the season seems fresh and new doesn’t mean we must work and produce at our normal capacity. We may do less, in smaller ways, as we remember what’s come before now.