WELL the garden rake is all cleaned up ready for the mad rush to clear the garden of leaves as they begin to fall off the trees. But as we bask in the mild weather, the leaves seem a little reluctant to fall off!

As much as nature needs to start closing down for a couple of months, the weather just isn’t playing along. Now you might not think that is too bad, after all who wants to usher autumn in. But I sort of like autumn. A time when everything begins to slow down, die back, and you can begin to take stock of the garden minus all the greenery that erupted over summer.

You begin to see the condition of the ground, the strength of the bushes and branches and where the time has come to pull the old and rotten plants and growth from those hidden corners of the flowerbed.

A life of faith is one where we are constantly called to examine how we live it, using what we learn from Jesus’ life and teachings to shape our own, and there are times when we need to take a closer look at what is lurking in the undergrowth of our own daily lives! Autumn provides a wonderful picture of how some parts of our lives need a good rake, prune and clear out if we delve below the surface.

As you venture out into the garden in the next couple of weeks, armed with your rake and secateurs, perhaps you might like to think about your own life, are there any areas that need a tidy up, clear out or good prune. After all, the garden will be better for it, why not your life.

Rev Stuart Stobart

Vicar of Hellifield and Long Preston Parishes