What do the Leaves Tell Us About Our Future?

I’ve done a fair amount of driving lately and I have to say, God’s glory has been on full display. It’s been a true delight to experience the Autumn foliage in hues of red, orange, yellow and green dance along the countryside.

Fall has always been bittersweet to me. Maybe it’s because my mom fell ill for the first time during October of 1990, and for the final time in October of 2008. Or maybe it’s because of the looming cold and bleakness that I know is coming. Either way, when I am stuck remembering the pain of the past or worrying about the unknowns of the future, I miss out on the wondrous beauty of the season.

This week I’ve been challenged anew to consider what each of these brilliant trees looked like just a few weeks ago. Now shiny with their bright, vibrant colors, I wonder if I would have even noticed them a few weeks ago. Similarly, I can look at trees still fully leafed and not yet turned, and wonder with expectation how they will be transformed in the days ahead.

I wonder what it would be like if we could approach people and relationships with this same sense of wonder. What if I could look at my marriage with giddy anticipation to see how God will use it to reflect His character, instead of being frustrated by the day-to-day conflicts between my husband and me?

What if I could look at the bitter division in and outside of the church and feel a sense of hope knowing God will one day reconcile and redeem all this fighting instead of feeling distraught.

I wonder what life could be like if I consider my children’s’ future - not worrying about the difficulty that life will surely bring, but rather trusting that God is using the sunshine, cold, and rain to transform them into something beautiful.

Revelation 21:5 says, “I am making all things new. Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Let’s let the beauty of the season remind us that the God of the Universe is transforming us and the world around us into something glorious.