“How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in him should ponder them.” Psalm 111:2 (NLT)

BY SANDRA C. WILLIAMS (M.Div/MACE,’06)

Have you ever stopped and pondered just how GREAT God is? No matter what conclusion you draw while pondering, the depth and breadth of God’s goodness is evident in every aspect of our lives and in every realm of this world in which we reside. The simplest things in creation can push one to plunge deep in thought regarding the greatness of God.  For instance, autumn is my favorite season! I love the changing colors of the leaves with beautiful oranges, reds, and golds. How can it be that God would display such beautiful colors on leaves that are literally dying? To my finite mind, it would be a waste of wonderful colors.

I would think these vibrant colors would be reserved only for spring and summer, when the days are long and warm, and people could experience their beauty in a broader variety of ways.  Can you imagine having your lunch under a tree with flaming red leaves in July? What about boating on the lake and enjoying the orange leaves on the trees gracing the piers?  Could there be a message to us in the changing colors of the leaves?

As I pondered, the beauty of every season was revealed to me.  In every season of our life God has placed beauty; and the changing of the leaves is a reminder to us that we, like the leaves, cycle through seasons of change.   Some of the greatest losses I have experienced have been in autumn, a season that I look forward to after the long hot Carolina summers. The loss of a child, a parent, a mentor, a friend are indeed painful and sometimes traumatizing, yet, the colors that I love which have brought me such joy in autumn, are there to console me in ways nothing and no one can. There is a message in the changing colors of the leaves!

Yes, spring is beautiful with the blossoming of flowers and the budding of trees signaling a time of renewal, yet the colors of fall are equally as gorgeous. The leaves begin to change from bright greens to autumnal colors, indicating that the period of growth is over, but only for a season, and that now a season of respite has arrived.

In our physical and spiritual lives, God teaches us an invaluable lesson via the leaves. There should be a time of respite, stillness, and renewal. Ponder all God has done for you thus far in 2018. Take the time for respite, stillness and renewal. Your body, mind and spirit will indeed rejoice!