
It’s fall. The days are getting shorter, and it’s getting very cold at night. The fall flowers are still blooming in the garden, but the leaves on the trees are no longer green and are now yellow, orange, and red. Mom told the children today that nature is preparing for winter. The leaves are colorful because the trees are storing their nutrients in the branches, trunk, and roots. Over the next few weeks, the leaves will fall from the trees. This helps the trees to survive the winter and protects them from damage caused by snow and ice.
While playing in the garden, Laura sees something interesting – a squirrel near the hazelnut bush. It scurries back and forth, up and down. When Laura looks closely, she notices that the squirrel always takes a nut from the tree and then disappears for a while. She tells Nicholas about it, and he says: “Yes, we talked about squirrels in science class last week. In the fall, they collect lots of nuts, seeds, and berries and hide them under leaves, in tree burrows, or under the ground. Because they have a good memory, they can remember where their supplies are in winter. They search for their supplies throughout the winter and move around a lot. This keeps them healthy and fit.”
Then the children talk about how people are also preparing for winter. A few days ago, they helped their father stack the wood supply. This morning at breakfast, Dad told them he had ordered winter tires for the car. Their parents also said they needed to buy new winter jackets for Nicholas and Laura because they had outgrown their old ones. Only the food supply is different. The nearby supermarket allows their parents to shop regularly so the fridge and pantry are always full.
The children realize how good they have it. They have parents who love them very much and care for them. And they have a heavenly Father – God, who looks after them and gives them everything they need. Nicholas and Laura realize that they have many reasons to be grateful. Have you already thanked God and your parents for all the good things today?
Helene Rotfuss
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