YOURS FAITHFULLY
ILOVE autumn. While I like the new-birth expectancy of spring and also sitting outside in the summer sun, it is autumn which is my favourite season.
There is nothing quite like going out early in the morning and smelling the freshness of an autumn day.
John Keats, one of the greatest English poets, wrote his famous poem Ode to Autumn which begins with those familiar words ‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’.
One of the good things about living in the UK is that we have clearly defined seasons, something that isn’t true in other parts of the world.
This means that while we may not like the dark and cold of winter or April showers, we know that change will come and something more pleasant will appear.
This ebb and flow of our UK seasons mirrors life. For all of us there will be ups and downs; times of happiness and celebration as well as times of sadness and difficulty.
In the Bible, this is famously referred to in the book of Ecclesiastes: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3v14).
In our lifetime, we will all experience the wintertime of loss, the springtime anticipation of new things and the sparkling joy that summertime brings.
However, autumn is different. It is fresh and pleasant and mellow. Traditionally, autumn points towards harvest time. It is the time when new school terms begin.
It is the time when clergy friends in the Methodist Church commence new appointments.
Life always feels better when we can find balance and rhythm. Sometimes we can plan for this but often it can be the result of a change in circumstances. A few years ago, I found that one of the results of losing my wife to cancer was that I reflected afresh on my life and what I wanted in the future.
While I didn’t make any major changes, bereavement gave me an opportunity to take stock and make some alterations. I decided that I wanted to lose some weight, take more exercise and become fitter. I wanted to read more and so began working my way through a list of “101 fictions books to read before you die!”
I also decided to change my car and become a Stoke City season ticket holder!
So, what season of life do you feel that you are in currently? If you feel happy and blessed, then savour and enjoy it for all it is worth.
Share you happiness with others by being gracious, kind and generous.
However, if you are lost, lonely or sad then remember
Try to avoid becoming morose even though this Covid season has made so many of us feel sad
that life doesn’t have to remain that way.
Try to avoid becoming morose even though this Covid season has made so many of us feel sad.
Consider if there are some positive changes you can make. Ultimately, make time to seek God.
His son’s death on the cross means that He understands pain and loss. You could try praying and if you don’t know what to say then try the words of the Lord’s Prayer. May the arrival of autumn’s mists and mellow fruitfulness signal a time of blessing for you and for our communities.