It is October ~ finally there’s a nip in the air and the magnificent beauty of autumn is just beginning. For my friends up North, the transformation from the rich greens of summer to the beautiful warm colors of fall has already begun. Here in Atlanta the trees change color a bit later, but oh how gloriously long they last! I remember my first fall here in the Deep South, 13 years ago now, and how I reveled in the beauty of these giant trees, steeped in color for what seemed like an eternity. I love to walk in the cool early morning air and take in the breath-taking spectacle that God paints for us each and every year, like clockwork. It was after a long walk in the brisk fall air one late October day a number of years ago that I wrote these words in my prayer journal:
Why do some trees hold tightly to their green youthful summer leaves when others around them are bursting into the glorious colors of fall? Reds ~ yellows ~ burgundies ~ rusts … colors to make a Crayola Crayon box envious! Yet these green leafy hold-outs seem to be hanging on to summer and their full youthful life with a kind of dread, afraid to pass through the beauty of autumn to their death.
We do that too, don’t we? Men and women both, cling to youth ~ to smooth skin, tight blue jeans and small waistlines ~ so afraid to get old. But I fear in our desperate desire to stay young, we will be just like those trees hanging on to the green of summer for dear life. When autumn gives way to the cold of winter, whether they’ve turned and become part of the color symphony or not, their leaves too – like the reds, yellows & rusts, will become brown and fall. A final gust of cold November wind and pounding rain will force them to the ground, to their death. Or perhaps it is really new life ~ giving their nutrients to the earth for the miracle of regenerating and bringing more leave
s in spring.
Sadly, by holding so tightly to their summer foliage until finally, it surrenders and tumbles to the earth, these stubborn emerald beauties will have missed the joy and privilege of being part of the splendor that is autumn. We too, who cling so fervently to our own youth will someday, inevitably, become elderly and pass on to our eternal destiny. But will we have missed the adventure of fully participating in the most beautiful, radiant, awe inspiring time of our lives? Will we have missed the joy of fully living every season You give us to experience in its’ own uniquely splendid way? God please, don’t let me miss being part of the symphony of color that is the autumn of my life!
This fall season, as you take a long walk or drive through the country, enjoying the symphony of color that God so graciously displays year after year for our enjoyment; don’t miss the opportunity to think about your season of life. Are you in the youthful, spring of your years? Don’t throw away this precious ~ short time. Find God’s purpose and passionately pursue it. Are you in the full, lush, green of the summer of your life? Live it! Don’t waste it working and worrying away your years. God wants to use you in this season in a way He can’t at any other time. For those of us in the autumn of our lives, oh yes, enjoy the splendor of this colorful season of harvest. God is not finished with you yet. And finally, for those of you who may be in the winter years of life, know that God is still using you. He wants to make every day count. He is in control and has a purpose for each and every day of our lives.
As we walk through this life, God takes us on an amazing journey. Every step, every season is necessary. Each prepares us for what is coming in the future, something we are not yet able to see. Some seasons are training grounds, some resting places and some are beautiful symphonies of color ~ just for our enjoyment. But all are necessary to move us through this remarkable adventure we call life, to a place of wholeness, perfection and glory that we will find when we finally get to the end, in God’s arms. Rest in the fact that whatever season you are in, He is in every step. He has a purpose for this season and the next. None is wasted. None is an accident. Find God’s purpose for this season of your life, and you will find joy.
