October Offerings for the Weary

One Devotional, Two Blessings, and Three Poems to Soothe Your Soul

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

“Despite all we have done wrong, the golden light of October falls through the turning leaves.”

WENDELL BERRY

ONE DEVOTIONAL BROUGHT TO YOU BY ME:

I recently finished reading Wendell Berry’s poetry collection, Leavings, and this line about October’s light grabbed me: “Despite all we have done wrong, the golden light of October falls through the turning leaves.”

I underscored it to come back to it—not knowing how badly I would need it when October came.

To say the past few weeks have been dark is an understatement. Our country is embroiled in a divisive political season, the Southeast has endured two hurricanes, there are fires and famines, and there are wars around the world. And as you know, my family has also endured ERs and hospitalizations and frightening unknowns—my friends have, too.

It feels like everything wants to fall apart. And this is just some of our lament.

We cry out.

We beg for reprieve.

We buckled under the weight of our sorrows.