Autumn begins with the equinox on September 23rd at 3:50 AM. But the signs of the changing season are everywhere. Nights are cool, even if we still can hear the buzz of ‘heat bugs’ on warm and sunny days. Hummingbirds, at least for the most part, are on their way to their winter habitats, to be followed shortly by other feathered friends in migration. School has resumed, at all educational levels, and our prayers are with teachers, parents and students in this time of transition. We offer intercession especially for those beginning a different stage… kindergarten, primary school, middle school, high school, college and university. May our Lord’s loving presence be experienced as each student starts a new adventure. And activities, in church land and in our work and recreation environments, all speed up their pace. Calendars become crowded. Demands on our time multiply. Even the anticipation is a bit wearying!
In the Quiet Garden, the delicate spring flowers are spent until next year. The verdant drama of summer blooms have had their day. Now the path is framed with beautiful, hardier plants, offering their colourful praise to the Creator. The Garden benches, bathed in a late afternoon golden glow, beckon for a moment of your time. Come, sit a while. Let the peace of God, which passes all understanding, rest gently upon you. Yes, Autumn’s busy-ness will, no doubt, become noisy and will require your attention. But, for the moment, just take a deep breath and rest in the Lord.
