October

The other day on Face Book, the subject of October came up quite innocently, and my seventeen year old granddaughter commented that she wondered what would happen this year. You see, October is not our family's best month. October is the month we mourn too many people from our family. With the exception of my mother, all of whom we have lost have been in October - from the little premie grandsons, our young nephew and my sweet mother-in-law. And all of these fairly recently, so the thought that something is bound to happen hangs heavy in my granddaughter's mind.

But for me, all that mourning - and I do mourn - cannot take away from the beauty and glory which is fall, which is October. And especially here in North Carolina with all the hardwood trees that cover the mountains. I love spring with all the pastel flowers, summer in bright greens, reds, yellows - all the primary colors. But for me, it is fall when God paints his richest, deepest, most opulent tapestry. Colors of pale oranges to flaming reds, royal purples, deep yellow greens.

In California we had what was considered a pretty large yard for a track house. We had several trees - an alder, a weeping willow, a couple of birch trees in the back yard. One year we went away for about a week in late September and came back around the first of October. When I went to the window and looked out back, it took my breath away. Our whole back yard was like an Oriental carpet of rich scarlet, amethyst, amber and gold. I never saw it like that before or after. And it was such a surprise. When we left it seemed the trees had only started turning color.

So, what will happen this October, Kate? The leaves will turn from green to the richest treasures of God's earth, they will tremble on the trees and rain down upon the lawns. The robins will stop and stay a while, hopping around the yards until the weather gets colder and then they will move on down south. October will give way to November, November to December and we will all get to curl up in warm cuddly clothes, read books, drink hot chocolate or tea, rest and refresh and hopefully (for me) watch the silent white beauty of a snow storm interrupted only by the ruby red flight of cardinals flying from tree to tree.

I so marvel at the beauty of fall. And it makes me so aware of His glory which leads me to believe He holds those we love and have lost with Him in a place that even October here on earth cannot rival.