Writing this on yet another hot, dry day, I can only dream of September rain. Whether the weather breaks, remains to be seen, but September brings a fresh start. As schools return and autumn begins, the rhythm of life shifts. It is a time to pause, notice the changing world, and give thanks for new beginnings. Children begin new classes, and some a new school. For them, their parents and teachers, excitement can sit alongside real worries: different friends, new teachers, unfamiliar classrooms and expectations. As mornings cool, leaves turn and evenings draw in, September reminds us that life is always moving, bringing hope and challenge. Not everything will go as planned.
I once had the pleasure of directing John Godber’s play September in the Rain. It follows Jack and Liz through many years of annual holidays in Blackpool: wet promenades, boarding houses, familiar arguments, laughter and disappointment. The holidays are far from perfect, and neither is their marriage. Yet beneath the bickering and frustrations lies something much more important: a deep love, built through years of shared experience and everyday faithfulness. At the heart of the play is a piece of wisdom: life is not made meaningful because every plan works out, the weather behaves, or we always say the right thing. Its meaning is found in the people with whom we share it; in familiar routines, stories repeated, kindnesses offered, and love that remains when things do not go as we hoped.
As I have journeyed with God, I have come to see something similar, He is not looking for perfection from us. He does not wait for us to have all the answers, make no mistakes, or have everything neatly in place before He welcomes us. He meets us as we are: with our hopes and worries, successes and disappointments, and imperfect attempts to begin again.
After the drought of this summer, September rain may be particularly welcome. It might spoil an outing or make the school run less pleasant, but it is life-giving. It refreshes dry ground and reminds us that we cannot control everything. We can, however, choose what we pay attention to. Each day offers the possibility of a fresh start; each season reminds us that renewal is possible. As a new school year and autumn begin, perhaps we can resist the pressure to make everything perfect. There will be busy days, unexpected changes, disappointments and damp moments. But there will also be opportunities to value what matters most: family and friends, neighbours and community, simple acts of care, and a God who is with us in the day-to-day; faithful and unchanging, helping us to see the good that is already there.
