The brilliant, ever-changing panorama of fall colors is a spectacle most of us anticipate every year. While autumn takes on different aspects in various regions and climates of the world, changing colors and cooler temperatures both play big parts in its beauty and universal appeal. Nothing says summer is waning and nature's rest period (a.k.a. winter) is on its way like crisp mornings, chilly evenings, shorter days, and billions of leaves morphing from the fresh greens of June, July, and August to the jewel-toned hues of September and October. Despite its relative brevity--especially when compared to the long and often dreary days of the winter months it inevitably heralds--it's hard to find anyone who dislikes autumn and its glorious display of God's touch. I am often distracted, however, by the vast displays of colorful vistas--the reds, yellows, oranges, and deep browns of hardwood forests--and forget that the larger picture is comprised of individual leaves. While the effect is breathtaking, the fact remains that without billions of single leaves doing their duty by obeying nature's instructions and maturing, the cumulative and spectacular effect would not occur.
The same can be said of Christians. If each of us does our job of maturing in our walk with the Lord, the collective effect will be nothing short of magnificent.
See you along the trail...
