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October brings so many wonderful things to anticipate and experience. I love the falling leaves, and the way a bare tree’s silhouette stands in stark contrast to the clouds and sky beyond. Fairs and festivals abound, and the wonderful soups and stews bubbling on the stove for a supper on a chilly evening are cause for delight.

And let’s not forget pumpkins, hay bales, and scarecrows of all sorts. When the crisp air fills my lungs, something about it makes me want to twirl and swirl in a dance of joy! What a wonderful God we serve, who realized we would need a respite from the heat of summer, and He graciously gave us Octobers.

When I take a brief peek at the news, I would almost forget everything else except calamity and doom, but that’s not for me. I look out the window as I type away and see birds flitting about. They don’t have a care in the world. They just do their thing, and innately know that their creator will take care of them.

I have been reminded of late more than once that the Bible says we need to spend time in prayer. If I fail to pray, I’m not only failing to do what I should, but I’m leaving blessings unpacked. I know from my own life that the Word of God is true.

The best blessing any of us could have, in my estimation, is the absolute peace that comes from walking and talking with the only One who knows the course our lives should take. I remember when I was a little girl I was always afraid to pray for God’s will in my life, because I didn’t want to be a missionary in Africa! For some reason I thought that God’s will must definitely be something I would not want to do.

I realize now how foolish that was, because His plans for us are always wonderful. I will be the first one to tell you that the path is not always easy. In fact, as much as I adore the fall, it always reminds me of a road that I didn’t want to take. In October several years ago I became a young widow. Those anniversaries can be and usually are tough.

This year I looked through my pictures to post one of my late husband on his birthday, which is just days before he left us, and what I noticed was all the living I had done since he went home to Jesus. Life changes when we lose a loved one, but it doesn’t end. I suppose I may always get a little sad when October rolls around, but I’ll pick my head up and keep moving forward. I have too much living to do to focus too long on the past.

I’ve heard that grief is the price we pay for loving someone deeply, but what would our lives be without love? Wishing you all a day filled with love.

Jan Penton Miller can be reached at lilsisjan@yahoo.com.