“Peering from some high window; at the gold of November sunset and feeling that if day has to become night this is a beautiful way.”
… E.E. Cummings
The stillness of November is a refreshing change after all the exuberance of October and is a welcomed pause before the colourful celebration of December.
The muted shades of November only add to its peacefulness. The soft water-coloured skies with fleeting rays of sunshine make the perfect backdrop for the beauty of each bare tree. The quietude of the first snowfall welcomes us into a space of tranquility and peaceful reflection while the long evenings are perfect for simple pleasures like warm bread pudding shared by a crackling fire.
Historically November was a restful month after a busy autumn of bringing in the harvest, preparing the fruit cellar, stacking the newly cut winter wood and “shoring up” the barn. These days we busy ourselves with leaf raking, placing the patio furniture into winter storage, winterizing the cottage, getting the snow tires on, having the car oiled and ensuring the snow blower is started up and ready to go.
In rural ministry November sees a return of many to Sunday morning worship! The hymn singing is more robust, the choir loft fills and the volume of chatter at Fellowship augments to it loudest.
Aw, yes, November is a month filled with many gifts. As Henry David Thoreau wrote, “The thinnest yellow light of November is more warming and exhilarating than any wine they tell of. The mite which November contributes becomes equal in value to the bounty of July.”
May November be a month that fills your heart with peace and your life with God’s divine light.
