Hope in the Storm – September: The Harvest Table

 Here us the September entry for Hope in the Storm – A Maple Lane Mystery, drawing from the harvest season and emotional changes just as crisp as the turning leaves:

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Hope in the Storm – September: The Harvest Table

The air in Maple Lane turned sharper in September, curling around porch swings and the edges of prayer shawls laid across church pews. The Harvest Festival was approaching, and with it, Faithful on Maple Lane’s long-standing tradition: the Community Harvest Table—a potluck-style event where everyone was invited to bring something from their home, garden, or heart.

But this year, Clara Bell wasn’t baking her famous apple pie.

Her younger sister Lydia had insisted on taking the reins this year, wanting to prove she could “handle more than just folding the napkins.” Clara, always the steady hand in the kitchen, found herself unmoored. Her house felt too quiet. The kitchen, too clean. It wasn’t just the pie—it was the shift. The season was changing. Lydia was changing. And Clara didn’t know what her role was anymore.

At the same time, Pastor Joe had asked the congregation to write a single word on a slip of paper—something they hoped to surrender or receive during this harvest season—and place it anonymously in the Harvest Box at the altar. Words like “peace,” “restoration,” “forgiveness,” and “courage” flowed in.

But one word, written in shaking letters, caught Clara’s eye when she helped Pastor Joe sort them for the prayer team:
“Belonging.”

It echoed what she had been feeling in silence.

Meanwhile, the festival faced a logistical storm: the tent company canceled last minute, and heavy rain was in the forecast. The community scrambled, and Marcus Davis offered use of the university’s banquet hall, while Tori Rae and Owen transformed the space overnight with cozy fall décor, bushels of apples, and watercolor place cards made by local kids.

When Clara finally arrived—her hands empty but her heart full—she found Lydia had set aside a spot for her. On the table? A slice of Clara’s signature pie. Lydia had baked it with Clara’s recipe and added a note:
“The pie tastes better when we make it together. We still need you.”

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Scripture Reflection:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT)
“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”

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Journal Prompt:

As the seasons change, what are you being invited to let go of—and what are you being invited into? Where are you needed, even when you feel forgotten?