October Melancholy
As the days grow shorter and the leaves turn color and fall languidly from the trees, there is a peculiar melancholy which we are susceptible to at this time of

year. October days are tinged with sadness and a sense of loss at the end of

another summer, and yet this is combined with a feeling that the beauty of a

crisp autumn day under a clear blue sky somehow redeems the loss of sum -

mer. The last monarch butterflies wearily flapping their exhausted wings, the flocks of geese heading south, and the vibrant colors of the leaves all presage a time of dormancy, when we will hunker down for the long, cold winter. Everyone probably has a favorite season of the year, but being able to enjoy each one with its different qualities is a blessing from God. And, perhaps this October melancholy is God's way of telling us to start conserving our energy. If we've been diligent all summer, and the harvest is plentiful, then just maybe, with the Lord's blessing, we'll make it through the coming winter, and live to see another glorious Spring.