A crisp September morning...

Graphic by CrossCards.com

This morning has been a reminder that fall really is on the way! It was only 35º when I got up at 6 a.m. We heat our house completely by way of a wood furnace. It has ductwork just like a regular furnace and is a forced hot-air system, with registers throughout the house, but of course we haven’t yet fired it up for the winter. Sooooo.... you can imagine that it was pretty cold INSIDE the house at 6 a.m.! By the time I got downstairs, my hubby had a nice fire crackling in our kitchen woodstove, which we use to “take the chill off” on mornings like this in spring and fall. I actually kept the fire going until 9:30 or so, but it’s warm enough now to let it go out.

I haven’t done much fall decorating as yet, preferring to wait until the actual beginning of fall on September 23. But I celebrated this morning’s fall-like feel in a few little ways: I put flannel sheets on our bed; I have a “Caramel Apple” jar candle on the candle warmer; and I made Pumpkin Spice coffee to drink with breakfast. This is made by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and is yummy. I can’t imagine using up an entire bag of it, but for an occasional autumn treat I buy one of the small sample-size bags.

Throughout the morning, I have remembered another beautiful September morning five years ago. I was at my mother’s house with my daughter, preparing to put down some new rugs for my mother. A friend was due to arrive to help with the task. She rushed in with the news that the World Trade Center had been hit by a plane. We immediately turned on the radio and heard the unfolding drama as it happened. We ladies all sat down and spent time in prayer for the situation. At that moment I just remember being overwhelmingly thankful that I know the God of the universe, and that all events are under His sovereign control -- even when they appear out of control. I remember thanking God that even though these events were a terrible shock to us, that they were no surprise to Him, and that somehow He would bring good out of this national tragedy. I found that He increased my faith during those dark days, and I trust that others experienced this also.

The very next month, my husband and I drove to South Carolina to visit our daughter and her husband. There were still flags and patriotic signs everywhere, and National Guardsmen stationed at bridges, etc. On our return trip, we were to catch a ferry in Delaware to go visit friends in New Jersey. I will never forget this incident, because of how God used it to strengthen me. We stopped at a scenic overlook and somehow managed to lock both of our sets of keys in the car! It was scary, because we had a ferry to catch and there would not be another until morning. We stopped and prayed about our dilemma. Eventually, a police officer came and helped us get into the car, but it all took time and we were almost sure now that we would miss the ferry. We started off anyway, feeling more despairing by the mile. As we drove by one business -- it was a little auto-body or mechanic shop or something of the sort, out in the middle of nowhere -- there was a sign out front with an inspiring message, just like many other businesses posted in the fall of 2001. But this one -- well, here’s what it said: “Keep your focus on God... He can be trusted.” A message for our country -- yes, but a message for us as well! Yes, we were still late for the ferry -- but guess what? The ferry was running late also. We got there in time to board and to arrive at our friends’ home as planned.

So --- Keep your focus on God. He can indeed be trusted!