Vibrant

In recent weeks, I’ve been thinking about the visible changes of the season. There are certain older areas in our town, in which the trees form an arch over the streets. The changing colors of autumn leaves, coupled with the old style street lamps, are beautiful. 1 Peter 1:24-25 had also been going through my head.

“All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” NIV

In the summer, when the trees are in full green, I am most often looking at the beauty of the tree as a whole. It isn’t until the leaves begin to change and die, that greater attention is drawn to the leaves themselves. In the dying they become more vibrant and individually distinguishable.

Last week, I was noticing how the warm colors of freshly fallen leaves compliment the gold and green patched dying grass. There were big and small leaves scattered all around. Some were curly. Some were flat. Some were more torn than others. In my heart I heard, “Embrace the hurt. Embrace the pain. Let it do it’s work. Don’t run from it.” It is in the dying to self, that we are becoming more vibrant. We are becoming gold. I thought of how many times I have heard people say or ask, “How could a loving God allow suffering…(or insert other pain here)?” I have asked why myself on more than one occasion.

The people that I have looked up to and admired the most throughout my life, are those who have endured hard things. They have had their character stretched and shaped by hardship. Depth of character is etched with sharp tools. God wants us to let the pain drive us to him, so he can chisel off our barbed edges. He wants to bring out the gold.