Pineridge Blog

You know what I mean when I say, “The leaves are changing.’ The color of the leaves is changing from green to yellow, red, or or-ange and then eventually brown, as they fall away.

Everything seems to be changing, but nothing is changing at all. The leaves are not really changing so much as they are just being, well, leaves. The leaves are doing exactly what they have been designed to do. I recently heard a reflection on fall foliage that much of what we call changes in leaves are really the color that is always there being revealed as the green chlorophyll fades away.

Those of us who live in a region with four seasons are used to the “changes” in the leaves and look forward to them. In fact, many people admit that this is their favorite time of year. There is even some comfort in seeing things go as they should.
What if other things we describe as “change” are not really changes at all, but just the way of things? Everything in our world has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It is our nature to want to hold on, perhaps too long, to what is familiar and comfortable. The problem with many changes is that it feels like something is being taken away. We wonder if things will ever be the same again. The answer is probably, ‘no, things won’t be the same.’ But the ‘no’ doesn’t mean that things won’t ever be good again, even if they are different.

As you experience change, my advice is to take a walk and enjoy the beautiful days and colors of fall. Know that everything changes, because that is the nature of all things on earth. Change is the way of most things. Realize each beautiful leaf is a fleeting gift. Remem-ber as James 1:17 says, “Every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.”

Jim