Sweater weather is upon us here in the city of oaks. I found myself vigorously digging through my closet to pull out those long sleeve friends that I haven't been acquainted with in several months. There’s a crisp hint of coolness in the air, and it brings forth flashbacks of Ohio. 2012, warm and cozy, nuzzled up in an arm chair on the second floor of Starbucks in Kent, Ohio. Staring out at the bare-leaved, snow covered trees through a frosted window. Watching as the cars glide by and the traffic lights change, while sipping on a caramel apple spice. There's something beautiful about the falling of the leaves. There’s beauty in the bare and nakedness of the trees.
How incredibly strong and resilient are trees? My goodness. Full bloom in Spring and in Summer, showing out in all of their amorous beauty. The boldness of the green leaves, each brilliantly and intentionally serving their purpose providing food and nourishment for the tree. Then, like clockwork, the inevitable pushy house guest Fall arrives, beating down natures front door. Yet with elegance and grace, the tree accepts Fall’s pushiness, and surrenders to the unrelenting change of the seasons. The trees begin the process of letting go. The process of falling into Fall.
I’m not sure what’s more miraculous, the fact that the tree produces it’s own chemicals to execute the falling of it’s own leaves, or the fact that the tree has the ability and the wherewithal to let go in that capacity in the first place. Each year, letting go of hundreds of leaves, parts of itself if you will, shifting into a completely different organism. God truly shows his love and attention to the details in His creation, in nature.
In most cases I find that I have the ability to let things go and accept the imminent act of falling that is required during this lifetime. In other cases, you can count on stubborn ol me to be the only tree sticking out like a sore thumb, still fully dressed in bold green leaves out of season. All the while, other trees have begun the process of changing into their next looks. Head to toe in stunning hues of apricot and crimson. When we avoid falling into predestined change and purpose for our lives, we risk being in the wrong look in the wrong season. Foolishly we strut down life’s runway, out of place. We too stick out like a sore thumb in a relationship, job, you name it, that just doesn't fit us anymore. We’d rather hold onto our leaves instead of letting them fall. Truth be told, we all have the ability to feel it in our spirits. We can feel it when some things need to fall off of us like the leaves do every year. When things just need to change. Anyone walking by our stubborn trees, all out of season and what not, would take one look and easily win the game of “Which one of these things don’t belong”.
When we fall into new seasons, or when we allow people, places and things to naturally fall out of our lives, there’s often a residue of what was, left behind on our conflicted hearts. I had no idea that a little scar is left behind on the limbs of a tree where each leaf was attached before they were given permission to fall. It almost seems like God created every living thing to have some capacity of accepting change, as well as a unique capacity of creating it’s own process of memory. Did you know that God created the tree in such a way that it prepares itself for the falling of it’s own leaves? A tree produces its own chemical cocktail, and when the process is complete, the tree seals the deal and makes the cut, parting with each leaf. There is beauty that can be found in the falling of each leaf, because a little scar or “memory” if you will, is left behind. When our lives change, and we fall into the arms and very will of God to be led into our next assignment, we too are blessed with memories and lessons from the experiences we’ve walked through beforehand. Each memory and lesson equipping us for what is to come about along the road ahead.
“For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you”
The beauty in falling, is the complete confidence that all things will fall into place and come together. As Christians, we have an unshakeable peace stored up inside of us. We know that there is no situation that we can find ourselves in that God will not use for our good, better yet, for his glory. We can fall with gladness, with an assurance that God has ordained the outcome, and will always provide his loving arms to catch us. Even through the tickle and leaping feeling in our bellies as our feet leave the floor that once served in our comfort, God has a plan to catch us and set our feet on solid ground.
We are all being prepared for our next assignment. Take this month to fall into the arms of God and trust that there's beauty in free falling into his will, into his plan. Wake up in the morning and surrender each day to what he has waiting for you. Minute by minute, hour by hour, agreeing in prayer to fall into his plans for the day, for the month, and for your life. Welcome October!
October 6th: Happy Birthday to my mother Karen, the woman responsible for all that I am.
With Love,
your ladybug