Bayfront Living Magazine – September 2022
Harvesting what was seed in spring…
Buds of grief…
Now lush along a ripening
path.
Some remain enfolded, poised to ambush,
Blossoms bursting…
Mystery of the journey
Has become the reality of empty places.
Yet other seeds,
sown side by side,
are finding their way to the sun,
Even in the shortening days.
As shadows grow longer
We are called to gather in
And glean the blessings
Of dark and light…
In September we watch the sunsets on the bay move steadily southward. It is time for gathering in the
harvest planted in spring and for the Autumn equinox. While our days on the coast are still warm and
often sultry, the earth’s slow tilt away from the sun promises shorter and cooler days ahead. The waning
sunlight results in the changing colors of leaves. This is a part of the faithful rhythm of the seasons. We
can count on a new school year, a new routine, the restart of activities. A change of season can be
exciting or daunting. Some of you have followed a season in the life of my family that was not a part of
the normal rhythm of the year, which began in late winter, was woven throughout spring and summer
and now into fall. We lost our granddaughter, Ruach Avonlea Fletcher, known to us as Baby Ru to still
birth on June 17 th . (I prefer my grandson’s observation that, we did NOT lose her. We know where she
is…In heaven with Jesus!) On that day, we stepped across the threshold of anxious and hopeful
expectation into the reality of loss. When I look back over the months leading up to her birth and death,
I give thanks for the ways of being that have continued to support myself and our family. Not only do
they serve in times of crisis but in the daily adventures of living in any season.
- Prayer and Inspirational Reading
- Spiritual practices such as journaling, artwork, and meditation.
- Community, including your family, neighborhood, or faith community
- Self-Compassion
Be on the lookout as, in the months ahead I address them in more depth.
As Autumn beckons, I invite you to sit back and look at what seeds you have planted this year. Are you
reaping a harvest of any kind, either positive or negative? Looking at the scripture below, can you relate
to any of the seasons mentioned? What effect have they had on your heart, soul, mind, and body? How
have you navigated changes and possibly the unexpected?
3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3
New International Version