Leaves

The leaves are falling from the trees as autumn has arrived. They cover the ground creating a carpet of colour. As I watch the carpet grow, I think about us being in our autumn years of life. Our bodies are slowing down; we are passed our prime, even if our brains don’t want to admit it.

We have been young and fresh like the leaves of spring, tough and strong like the leaves of summer and now we are beginning to lose our strength just like the leaves of autumn. Like the autumn leaves we still have plenty left in us. We can still make our world a better place, share the wisdom we have gained over the years and contribute to the lives of others.

People react to autumn leaves in different ways. Some people see them as a nuisance, something that causes work and need to be cleared away. Some people will see the leaves as great mulch for the garden, a means of improving the soil and helping their gardens to grow better. Others still, particularly children, will see them as a means of having great fun, as they pile the leaves into great heaps and jump into them enjoying the noise of them crunching under their feet.

We will be seen in much the same way, some will see us as a nuisance, others will allow us to enrich their lives and some will just enjoy us for who we are.

As Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us all there is a time for everything. Those things will be different depending on our age, circumstances, our place in history and the plans God has for us. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11