Falling Leaves

Fall has showed up fully here in North Bama. Not long ago the trees were just starting to change, and then it seemed they were in full color overnight. And after this last cold snap, I would even say most are officially down now! Now when I walk outside, I hear that sound that reminds me to get out the ole leaf blower...

This season always reminds me of the verse in Ecclesiastes 3:1: “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” I know we’ve all heard it plenty of times, but it hits different when I'm watching the trees finish shedding their leaves this time of year.

The trees aren’t fighting it. They’re not trying to hang on to every leaf. They just release what they’re meant to release. And I have to admit… I’m not always good at that. A lot of us aren’t. We hang on to old worries, old frustrations, old habits. Usually, it's stuff we don’t even need anymore. But watching the leaves drop makes me think that maybe letting go is part of how God plans for us to grow.

We know that when those trees look empty, they’re not “dead.” Their roots are actually growing deeper this time of year. All the important stuff is happening under the surface. I think our lives work the same way. Sometimes it feels like things are being stripped away: plans, expectations, relationships, whatever it might be. It might even feel like a season of only loss. But it could be the time when God is strengthening our roots the most.

So, as the leaves keep falling, I now try to keep asking myself: What is God asking me to let go of right now? Maybe it’s worry. Maybe it’s stress. Maybe it is a negative relationship. Maybe it’s something I’ve been holding onto just because I’m used to it. Whatever it is, this season reminds me that God designs things to continuously change. He’s in every season, and He never wastes any of them.

-Tim Jordan

#MaysvilleMessenger