Thoughts of Autumn bring visions of trees adorned with Nature’s quilts of brightly-colored leaves, ranging in a variety of different hues and rustling in the breeze. In fact, many people travel for miles to enjoy such views. What is not as visible, however, is the divine treasure gifted to us by the Creator. What treasure? Come join me and explore colorful lessons hidden amongst the leaves!
Wagon Walks
Going on wagon walks was one of my favorite memories from when my boys were younger. Each year when the trees began transforming into beautiful bursts of color, I loaded my children into a wagon, and we ventured around the neighborhood, admiring the array of leaf colors. As we walked and talked, we thanked God for the beauty He created.
When Autumn began winding down, our wagon walks evolved into more of a scouting expedition. We were on the hunt for the best leaf pile. Invariably, we found ourselves in the giant lawn of a neighborhood church because it had the BEST leaf pile (and they had not spent hours raking the leaves into submission)! Our family of four derived pure joy from jumping into, and rolling around in, the enormous leaf pile. Despite all the fun, at no time did any of us recognize the lessons hidden amongst the leaves.
Lessons Hiding Amongst the Leaves
As I have mentioned in previous posts, we can learn a great deal by quieting the busyness in our lives and simply observing nature. In this instance, leaves have much to teach us. So, let us begin where a leaf’s story begins, as a bud.
For many around the world, Springtime ushers in new beginnings. After all, Winter’s chill begins warming, and all that was dormant springs to life. One hallmark of Spring is seeing leaf buds appear on tree branches. Humankind sees these tiny buds as a sign of new life and eagerly awaits the baby leaf’s appearance. This process is mirrored in human creation as well. The leaf bud is like an infant in its mother’s womb, a sign of new life, too. The baby’s family eagerly awaits its birth into the world.
As Spring evolves into Summer, those once tiny leaf buds have developed into a sea of green leaves, swaying in the breeze. On the surface, each leaf appears like all the others. Therefore, on hot, sunny days when an individual enjoys the shade provided by the leaves, they are not thinking about the uniqueness of each leaf. Likewise, people do not typically notice how each leaf seemingly has a “mind of its own” when it’s rustling as part of a larger group, creating Nature’s music on windy, stormy days. Generally speaking, people see the value created when leaves work together. The same can be said for the inherent value created when people work together.
Although people typically overlook a leaf’s uniqueness, God sees beneath the surface and longs for us to see it, too. As Summer flows into Autumn, the Creator unveils the unique beauty found in each leaf. You see, dear friend, as leaves change their colors, what has been on the inside all along finally bursts forth for all to see, enjoy, and appreciate.
God did not make all leaves alike. No. Leaves consist of different shapes, sizes, and colors, but all are beautiful. The inherent uniqueness found in leaves parallels the diversity of humankind.
On the surface, leaves may appear similar, just like people may appear similar on a superficial level. However, when you invest the time to really get to know someone on a deeper level, you begin to see, and genuinely appreciate, the unique beauty and “color” they add to your life. Essentially, you finally see what God has known was there all along.
What Scripture Says About Lessons from Nature
According to Scripture, the Lord describes Job as, “…no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8, NIV). When God holds one of His children in such high regard, I venture to say we could learn things from them. Therefore, what might Scripture tell us Job says about lessons learned from Nature?
The Word tells us Job does, in fact, speak of learning from Nature. Job explains, “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you… In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:7-10, NIV).
Job’s statement highlights a couple of powerful concepts. First and foremost, God’s hand is the life force behind all creation, including leaves and humankind, despite how unalike they may seem on the surface. Additionally, Job describes how God’s children can learn lessons from the rest of the Lord’s creation. Yes, leaves are included!
King David, a beloved servant of the Lord, addresses how God’s creation teaches. He describes how this happens in Psalm 19 when he writes, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world…” (Psalm 19:1-4, NIV).
Although King David does not explicitly include the leaves on trees, he does acknowledge Nature has things to say to humankind. We, therefore, would be wise to listen and heed the instruction. After all, God’s hand is at the heart of it all!
Closing Thoughts and a Call to Action
People should trust that much exists beyond the surface. After all, consider the great care God took when creating you! No one in the entire history of the world is exactly like you! Therefore, the same is true of everyone else. So, invest the time and truly get to know others on a deeper level. Enjoy the beauty and uniqueness of others, which is just waiting to burst forth, and make your life more “colorful” than you ever thought possible! When you do, you honor the colorful lessons hidden amongst the leaves!
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