On the Changing Color of Leaves

Fall is my favorite season of the year, hands down. It took a little while for autumn to develop here this year. It was hot, then it was warm, then we hit this crazy cold snap where it got below freezing all of a sudden. Now, though, the climate has stabilized a little. It’s mild in the day, cool at night, and overall just wonderful weather.

One of my favorite things about fall is when the leaves change color. I’ve loved this ever since childhood. I know this seems rather trite, but to me it’s the most beautiful time of the year. I love walking through woods or sitting by the lake this time of year. Even if I don’t have the time to do that, I just enjoy looking at the trees through the window as I drive around town or sit at my desk in my offices (yes, I have 2 – welcome to the world of part-time jobs).

In thinking about the chlorophyll pigments of the leaves, I realized why fall took so long to for them to mature into full color this year. They had to go through that first cold spell. As soon as we hit that really cold week, the leaves changed almost immediately. Now, we’re blessed with an awesome array of color and beauty.

Why does that happen? Why does it have to get really cold for the leaves to change? The answer – when the leaves change color, they are in fact dying. They cannot endure the winter and live. They produce the beautiful pigments only when their life begins fades away.

Our life is the same way. We ask God to bless us and bring us closer to him or use us in a mighty way, and it seems like nothing happens. Then all of a sudden, God places us in the middle of a trial or difficult situation. It is in these “cold snaps” of life, that God can really mold us and make us into the people he wants. Until we emerge from those hard times, we can’t live up to our full potential. Until we die to ourselves, God can’t shine through us.

This principle is present throughout Scripture. Job endured some of the most difficult circumstances any person has ever gone through, and he emerged at the end of that period closer to God and with more tangible blessings. Joseph went through a time of slavery and confusion and came out of that situation as the second in command of the most powerful empire on earth at the time. The best example of this is Jesus. He endured the pain and suffering of the cross, experienced death, and then rose again 3 days later in the glory of the resurrection. Now he’s seated at the right hand of God in heaven. In all of these situations, something had to die so that beauty could be fully experienced, whether it be possessions, pride, selfish ambitions, or the flesh itself. And when death occurred, God emerged in ultimate beauty.

The leaves are in full splendor now, because they’re dying. We can be full of glory too, if we die.

No it’s not easy, but death sure can be beautiful.