Lessons of Autumn

I am lucky enough to live in a part of the country that experiences all the splendor of each passing season. At one point in my life I wanted to move So. Cal. and live by the beach. The sun, the sand, the surf, aahhhhh.....But now I am happy that God kept me firmly planted where I am. I need the hot days of summer, the changing leaves in the fall, the snow at Christmas, and the rebirth of spring. Don't get me wrong, I still try and get to the ocean at least once a year but like they say "a nice place to visit but wouldn't want to live there" (not yet anyway, maybe someday when I'm old and cold).

This week though, I have been enjoying the lessons that are to be learned from the wonderful season of Autumn. The one that has stuck me the most this time around is the beauty, the majesty, and humility of trees. First of all trees are very utilitarian, they provide food and shelter for a host of creatures. They are easy on the eyes, they are clothed in ever changing fashion and colors that somehow always seem to match the latest seasonal trends. They are, they just are. They blend into the background of a forest, they take center stage in a landscape, they come in all shapes and sizes. Trees are amazingly flexible, with branches that blow in the wind. But they can also be uprooted if the storm of life becomes too much for them to take.

Trees are beautiful in every season:

Do you remember the joy you feel when you see the first buds popping at the dawn of spring. And how about that magical week when every bud seems to pop and suddenly those bumpy branches are filled with young, delicate green leaves. The whole world seems fresh and new.

How about the large, shade giving leaves of summer. Many a hot day has been spent under the shady covering of a towering oak or maple or weeping willow tree.

Then comes the season where the tress can display their true majesty as they change colors in the fall. Slowly the greens turn to yellow and red and orange. Some trees display shades of purple and burgundy that could hardly be imagined in the human mind.

And winter, don't forget about the beauty of the trees in winter. Some of them are lucky enough to stay ever green. These trees continue to feed and shelter animals throughout the year. Other trees become a magical canvas where snow and ice can hang and glisten in the sun.

Have you ever stopped to think about how humble the mighty tree must be. To have all of this change and beauty take place on its own branches yet to be in control of none of it. A tree can not move to find its optimal living spot. It can not go out and find itself nourishment or friendly creatures to live around it. It has to accept that someday it may be chopped down to make some human a house or be turned into paper, or be deemed "too old" and made into firewood or wood chips. And yet the majestic tree continues to bud and blossom and grow and change and all of this for The King that created it to be so. Without complaint, without trying to change anything, without giving up. The tree is what the tree is. The tree accepts it's role in this world and does it's job to the glory of God and the benefit of every creature around it.

So..... How about you? How do you display the beauty, majesty, and humility that God created you with? How do you make this world a better place to live in? How do you provide for others, bring beauty into the lives of others, put others needs before your own? Are you sending down roots; deep, healthy roots that will keep you firmly planted where God calls you to be? Are you flexible and willing enough to change with the seasons and show the many splendors of God through your life, as an example for others?

My prayer for today is that we will each be able to take a moment to reflect on the wonder that is a tree. I pray that you are able to step outside of your busy life and spend time looking, really looking, at a beautiful autumn tree today. Think about the sacrifices that tree makes. Think about the protecting that tree provides. Think about the creator that loves it so much that He includes it in His master plan. Then pray. Pray about how your life can mirror that of the humble tree. Pray about the sacrifices God may be calling you to make. Pray about the comfort and protection you can provide to others. Pray about your place in God's master plan. I will be praying the same things too and for the Spirit to move within us as we lift our prayers up to heaven.

Until We Meet Again,

Drea