October

Well, it's October. October is the greatest month of the whole year. I believe I've discussed the glories of October before somewhere, but couldn't find it, so let me provide a condensed version: lovely temperatures, apples coming in, fresh apple butter, baseball playoffs and the World Series, the meat of the college football season, NFL on tv, leaves changing colors, frost on the windows, Halloween, visiting Elm Street... I mean, I could go on forever. No other month matches up to glorious October.

Yesterday, on the first, I was thinking about Octobers past. In 2001, my lovely sister was married to a wonderful man. In 2002 I flew the T-1 for the first time—and I also took a trip across nearly the whole of the South Texas just because I felt like it. In 2003, I bought my house. In 2004, I spent the first half of the month in Hawai'i and the second half in North Carolina (whence comes the photo at the top of this post). In 2005, I spent nearly all of October in North Carolina, working on Lauderdale and visiting with Elm Street.

And in 2006… I was in Djibouti.

Given that I was also in Djibouti for all of September, and will remain here throughout November, I'm having some trouble figuring out how this October is going to match up to previous ones. I'm not even going on safari this month; that's next month. But, it's still October. October is the greatest month of the whole year. Djibouti can't possibly change that.

So I've decided to pray, this month, for a great October. An October of renewed clarity, perhaps. Or an October for finding purpose and direction. Maybe an October of great ideas and brainstorming. I don't know; I'll let God handle the particulars. And if I have to wait until the 31st, I shall do so gladly. If I have to wait until next year to realize this was a great October, so be it.

But it's October. And October is the greatest month.