Autumn Leaves

What do you think of the leaves this year?

The Autumn leaves are one of the most amazing, radiant display of God’s creation we can behold… and they fall to the ground leaving a mess for us to rake up… that we can put in a big pile and jump in… that will cause our allergies to flare… and they protect the roots of our plants… while they kill the grass… and can be used to start an amazing camp fire. Isn’t it amazing that we usually have a positive way to look at things, or a negative way. Some people look at October and see Winter coming, while others see a glorious climax of Summer. Some people travel hundreds of miles to see our Fall colors, while others curse the trees.

I have discovered that there are people who tend to look for the worst because then they believe they can only be pleasantly surprised when the worst doesn’t happen. I find that they are rarely pleasantly surprised and actually often create their own disappointment. This doesn’t mean a positive attitude is never greeted with a disappointing outcome. However, positive people tend to have more joy-filled lives. And people like to be around positive people and happy experiences.

I know the world is filled with anxieties, pain and disappointments. I understand that sometimes we need to sing the blues and sometimes things are not so good. I often walk through countless difficulties with people and usually hear criticism every day. 

But God has given me a choice, and I choose to smile anyway. We determine our joy more than we realize. The apostle Paul was in prison and facing death, and in the letter to the Philippians in chapter four he wrote, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Christians are people of blessing. We have hope in the midst of hopelessness, joy in the midst of sorrow, and life in the midst of death.

So, take a walk and kick some leaves, marvel at the beauty God is giving us this October. Say something positive and uplifting to someone you know. People may dismiss you, or consider you naive. But they may also smile and see the joy of God in you and praise God for it. If a tree can bring joy, certainly God’s people can too.

Pastor Tom