A Lesson from the Leaves - Pastor's Column November 2021
Even though the change of seasons has done a number on my sinuses this year, Autumn is my favorite time of year. In this season we begin to get some relief from the oppressive heat we have endured all summer. It’s pleasant to be outdoors. Football is in full swing. We have cool nights with the smell of firepits and smoke from fireplaces and wood stoves. Night comes sooner and there are many clear nights revealing billions of stars. But perhaps the thing that stands out the most is the beautiful colors of the season. The leaves of all the deciduous trees change from green to stunning shades of yellow, orange, and red. But this is the South, of course, so don’t blink or you’ll miss it. Surely, the leaves are the highlight of the season. People travel to dense, leafy places such as the mountains to behold the majestic beauty. Indeed, it is a spectacular mural painted by God’s own hand!
If we were to stop and think about it, our attraction to the beauty of the fall foliage should seem a bit strange. This thing in which we take pleasure to see, is really but a vision of death. These leaves, once green and full of life have achieved their purpose. They have collected sunlight, converted it to energy, and have nourished the tree. The tree, now going dormant for the winter lets them go. The change of color is a sign they are dying. They will ultimately turn brown and fall to the ground where they will either rot or dry up and crumble away. And yet, the process truly is beautiful to behold. And we also realize that there will be new life in the spring. There is a lesson in that for us.
Last month, I mentioned the book I am reading called Hang On, Let Go by Frank Viola. In the book he encourages his readers to hang on to God and all his promises while letting go of the outcomes in any given crisis. In letting go of the outcomes that create worry, stress, and anxiety in our lives, we leave it all up to God and place it in those capable hands. As I continued reading, this little nugget of wisdom was given that applies to our current season of the year.
So, the healthy tree has let go of its leaves, but the tree is not dead, only dormant. It will brace against the cold winter and send forth new leaves and new life in the spring. Of course, we see a sign of death and resurrection in that, as we do in perennial flowers and all things that return to bloom in the spring. But it can also be a sign for us in our daily lives, in our daily battles, and in all our crises. We all experience loss. Our leaves change and fall. Like with the trees, some losses are necessary, and they can even be beautiful if we are able to let them go and hang on to the Lord in faith and hope. We hope and trust in the Lord knowing that no loss is without the beauty of his grace and the promise of restoration and life. We hope and trust in the Lord, even as the leaves die and fall to the ground, knowing that no death in him is without resurrection.