This summer, everyone seemed to be going abroad. My Instagram was full of airport photos and suitcases everywhere. The church felt a bit emptier too, missing the usual faces. As for me, I spent my summer on mission trips and teens camp, and by the end, I had to say goodbye to a group of teens moving on to university.
All this made me feel like a cicada, singing loudly all summer in a tree: busy, noisy, sometimes so busy I just wanted to stop. Parents were busy too, juggling work and looking after kids. Every day was full of noise, plans, and expectations. It felt like we had burned through all our energy over the summer.
As summer came to an end, the cicada tires, and I could feel my own energy fading too. I realized we all need to slow down sometimes, to see what we’ve done, and to notice the little laughs and tears that appear once the busy noise calms down. Maybe we’ve all had times of living loudly, giving our all, or quietly carrying responsibilities. When summer ends, the effort we put in leaves behind something precious, not just tiredness.
To me, autumn isn’t just the end of summer’s noise. It’s a gentle reminder to pause, reflect, and get ready for the next season. Everything from the summer can be kept, appreciated, and turned into fuel for what’s coming next. Slowing down isn’t stopping, it’s preparing for the next step.
So this autumn, I want to take a moment to enjoy the richness of summer. Even as the noise fades, we can stay calm and carry the warmth and energy of summer into the next season, winter. ^^
Pastor Tobey Chan