...walks in the woods, listening to the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and the leaves under my feet.
My favorite thing about fall, though, is the beauty of the leaves turning. When I see the bright colors of red, orange and yellow, I feel as if nature is pointing to the glory of God. I can’t wait each year for the peak of the fall colors! Many years, we have taken family photos amidst the fall foliage, and I have many fond memories of day trips to the trails at Mark Twain Lake.
(I'll just put this right here since November is National Adoption Awareness Month :)
Peak seemed to come late this year, though, and a few weeks ago I feared that this fall wouldn’t be as pretty as I had hoped. Many of the leaves were turning brown and falling without the color display we are accustomed to.
I asked myself the other day about what spiritual comparison might be made when the fall colors aren’t as brilliant. I have heard that less rain is the cause of this, so I gave some thought to what our spiritual “rain” might be. Probably, I decided, the nourishment from God that comes from studying His word and maintaining a close relationship with Him.
We were created to worship God… to reveal His glory….to let His love shine as brightly as the most colorful trees. If we don’t accept the “rain” He offers, are we like the trees whose leaves wither and fall with no color?
If our “tree” does reveal beauty before losing its leaves while the 50 or so trees around us fail to do so, does it cause us to stand out more? …to look even more beautiful to those who observe? Does it make those who watch us want to see more of God’s beauty?
Do the “trees” (people) around us that might have displayed beauty last fall want to do what they need to do to have a more colorful display next year? Could our “rain” (spiritual nourishment) also be of benefit to the “tree” (person) next to us?
Regardless, I want to be like the tree that boasts of God’s glory…not the one that dried up without pointing others to God. And I’d like to be able to enjoy witnessing other “trees” do the same.
As it turned out, this fall has proven to be just as beautiful as those I’ve loved in the past, with the trees bursting with beauty as they declare the goodness of God!
Just as I love gazing upon a wooded area full of colorful trees, I imagine that our Creator loves looking down upon His disciples that have received the nourishment He has to offer and by doing so, show all those who observe how awesome He is.
