A World Full of Octobers
by Rev. Dr. Amy Chilton on 10/05/23
“‘Oh, Marilla,’ she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, ‘I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn’t it? Look at these maple branches. Don’t they give you a thrill—several thrills?’” ~ Anne Shirley
I am in total agreement with Anne Shirley on this - October is a glorious month! Just yesterday I stopped at a farm stand (one of my weaknesses!) where there were giant bins full of Cortland and Macoun apples. My dahlias are in full bloom and serving as the neighborhood bee hotel, with 2-3 bees to a flower each night! The smells, flavors, and colors of October are bold and vibrant as this part of the globe prepares for a season of rest before it flaunts its Spring rainbows.
October stands at the intersection of summer and winter - still holding onto the glory of the former season while also easing us into our season of hibernation. I love that as we shift towards the darkest days on the calendar we have dahlias and leaves and apples to fuel our transition.
October gives us beauty in transition. Thank you God for Octobers!
Perhaps death and taxes are the two things we are assured of in life, but the Bible also shows us that transitions and God’s presence are also always with us. One example of this is in Isaiah 55, where we read God’s pleading once again with God’s people to return to faithfulness. In that plea God reminds them that there is an abundance of grace, goodness, and beauty that comes from God’s own self. With God there is enough food, there is enough life, there is always a listening ear, there is enough mercy, there is enough divine wisdom for all that God’s people need to make the transition back. Not only is there enough of the staples, but on top of that there is glorious beauty to get them through the transition!
You will go out joyfully, and be led out in peace; the mountains and the hills will before you break into cries of joy, and all the trees in the countryside will clap their hands! (Isaiah 55:12, The Inclusive Bible)
There won’t just be food, but there will be rich food (55:2). There won’t just be a path, but a path wending through the songs of the trees! There won’t just be a transition, but God will send abundant beauty through the earth to surround them as they make the transition. God is a God who we can rely on to send beauty to help us through our transitions.
So, in a world of “Octobers,” of spaces and places and people that bring beauty to seasons of transition, I pray that we, the people of God, live as a people of abundance rather than a people of scarcity. I pray that we steward this earth and the church well, trusting that God’s grace, goodness, and beauty are abundant and will surround us through whatever transition comes our way.
Friends, I am so glad we live in a world of Octobers!
Blessings,
Pastor Amy
