"Autumn leaves drift by my window …" For the past few days those words, the opening lines of a song, have been in the back of my mind. It's a song that must surely date me, together with the fact that while I can remember more of the tune, those are the only words I can remember!

With Thanksgiving a couple of weeks past, and an awareness of just how privileged we are to live in a country like Canada given the plethora of natural disasters and trouble spots in so many parts of the world, I had been mulling over using the song line as a caption and then blogging about such themes as: “Developing and Attitude of Gratitude,” the title of a recent women's retreat led by one of my friends, or “Growing Old Gratefully,” a phrase coined by another.

But where to start? I received the answer in no uncertain terms yesterday afternoon.

A week ago I received an email from a young woman who is a member of our local corps (church) but presently studying in Toronto. She explained that she was undertaking a special project of creating a music video for one of her courses, and asked if my husband and I would be willing to spend a couple of hours yesterday to act out part of the story, saying that “the story just shows relationships and their ups and downs.”

The idea piqued my interest and my husband, Robert, agreed to participate, too. My young friend then explained that there would be a scene in a park by a lake involving both of us, in which we would simply be portraying a happy couple, dressed in autumn colours, having a picnic. Then there would be another scene in which just I would be involved, and for which I would need to wear a different jacket.

Yesterday afternoon turned out to be a truly crisp autumn day with bright sunshine and very little wind, ideal for “the shoot.” Sure enough, at the appointed time, our young friend was in the park, with her two fellow students, awaiting our arrival. The scene was already set, complete with picnic basket and contents, a sandwich for each of us, and two mugs. She filmed us enjoying a happy conversation over lunch, walking hand in hand on the board walk, and there was even an impromptu scene of us feeding some friendly ducks that happened to arrive at just the right moment.

It was all great fun and a great way to express the line: “autumn leaves drift by my window,” especially since we were portraying a couple in the autumn of their lives.

When the filming of the first scene was completed I then showed the young director the assortment of alternate coats I had brought for the next one. She chose the warmest one, saying that the next shoot would be set in a winter scene. She then explained that we would be going for the next shoot to a very old cemetery, where people had not been buried for over one hundred years, so that there would be little chance of there being anyone else there whom filming in such a setting might offend.

My mind began to work overtime and I hardly dared ask whom I would be portraying in the next scene, for in my heart I already knew! The young director was very apologetic that she had not explained before that I would now be portraying another season of life in which I would play the part of the woman who was now visiting the grave of her husband. She also elaborated more on the context, explaining that the film would begin with young children and then move through various seasons of life, matching the sentiments expressed in the song to which it would eventually be set.

I took a deep breath, drew hugely on past drama lessons about re-living past experiences in one's own life to bring authenticity to the part, and sought to give what I truly felt was “the performance of a lifetime” — in more ways than one. When it was all over I was actually thankful that I had not had advance notice of what the last scene would be!

Now, with hindsight, I am still glad that I agreed to participate in the project, for in the last twenty four hours my thankful thoughts have gained a far greater depth than that with which I anticipated writing this blog. Those “dramatic moments” have caused me to thank God more deeply than ever before, not just for the “big picture” blessings of living in a country like Canada, but also for the intimate blessings of close relationships with my husband and immediate family. And for the deep and lasting relationships I also have with those who are precious to me because they are among those referred to in 1 John 5: 1: “Everyone who really believes that Jesus is the Christ is himself one of God's family” (JBP) – including my young director friend!

Now I need to make sure that I express that gratitude before too many more autumn leaves drift by my window.

Colonel Gwenyth Redhead is a retired Salvation Army officer. She and her husband, Robert, have held a wide variety of appointments in the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. However, her passion has always been to encourage others in creative responses to God through writing of scripts, stories, articles and lyrics (mostly to Robert's music). She has two daughters, Joanne and Corinne, and rejoices that they, too, use the creativity God has given them in ministry.