There’s something about fall that invites us to slow down.
The days grow a little shorter. The air turns cooler. The trees begin to let go of what they’ve been holding onto. There is a beauty in the changing season, but there is also an invitation: to pause, to notice, and to make a little more room for God.
Our lives don’t always make that easy. There is always another email, another appointment, another thing on the calendar. We can move from one thing to the next without ever giving ourselves the opportunity to simply be still.
Psalm 46:10 reminds us, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
One of the gifts of our Care Ministry is a place where we can do just that: the Garden of Celebration. Tucked away at the end of the sidewalk in the south parking lot, the Garden is a quiet place to pray, reflect, remember, or simply sit for a while.
The Garden holds a special place in the life of our church. Granite brick markers remember those whose ashes have been received there, while memory bricks provide a way to honor and celebrate loved ones. Over the years, it has become a place where people can bring both their joy and their sorrow, knowing that God meets us in both.
Scripture reminds us that we are never asked to carry those things alone. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:7. Sometimes casting our cares on God looks like a heartfelt prayer. Sometimes it looks like sitting quietly before Him when we don’t have the words.
Jesus understood the importance of stepping away from the noise. Throughout the Gospels, we see Him making time to go to quiet places and pray. If Jesus needed moments of solitude with the Father, perhaps we do, too.
So as we enjoy these beautiful fall days, consider taking a few minutes to visit the Garden of Celebration. Bring a prayer. Bring a memory. Bring a burden you’ve been carrying. Give thanks for someone who has made a difference in your life. Or simply come and sit in the quiet.
You don’t have to have the right words. You don’t have to accomplish anything. You can simply be there and remember that God is there, too.
In a season when the world around us is changing, the Garden offers a gentle reminder of what remains: God is faithful. God is near. And we never walk through life alone.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10
