Waiting with Confidence

If the forecast holds, Houston will receive its first true taste of fall this Wednesday. There is an unmistakable anticipation in the air—not unlike Linus waiting patiently in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin to appear—a hope that grows even when it seems like nothing is happening.

In June, my wife and I visited Quebec. Walking cobblestone streets, I noticed how summer there felt different: milder, almost autumnal, even at its peak. We couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to experience seasons that arrived on time. Now, four months later, we’re waiting for our own taste of fall along the Gulf Coast.

I’ve spent all 65 years living here. Over time, the waiting for cool weather became its own tradition. Sometimes autumn comes early, and sometimes much, much later. Some years, what I remember most isn’t the temperature change, but the sense of expectation—watching, hoping, trusting that relief will arrive.

I’ve found that waiting for fall isn’t so different from waiting for God’s faithfulness. There are seasons of plenty and seasons of drought, moments of joy and times when hope feels distant. Yet, throughout these years, I’ve learned that God is true to His promises, even in the waiting.

There have been years when the air-conditioning ran until November and discouragement crept in. Still, looking back, I see evidence of faithfulness—God’s timing, meeting needs I didn’t know I had, providing comfort and blessing in ways I never expected.

Today, as I anticipate the coming cool front, I’m reminded: Seasons may be slow to change here, but faith and trust grow in the waiting. I hold on to the memories of God’s goodness through countless autumns past and look forward to what’s ahead, confident that, just as surely as the cool weather comes, so does His faithfulness.

. . . and that’s what I know today.