Faith Like Fall Foliage or a Fallen Tree?
November 6, 2024
“Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.” Psalm 119:6 (NLT)
For the past few weeks, I’ve had the blessing of living in the house with the best looking tree leaves in town. Have you seen the tree in front of the parsonage? It’s beautiful, and I’m blessed to live there.
It peaked my curiosity to the point I looked up what leads to the best tree colors in the fall: Lots of sweetness and light.
Sunny Days: When fall has warm sunny days, trees produce lots of sugars in their leaves.
Cool Nights: If the nights are cool, the tree leaf veins close tighter and trap sugars.
This combination produces the most colorful or vibrant fall foliage (source). Sweetness and light! Such a tree is a beauty for all who see it!
Some of you may remember last December when a tree fell on the parsonage one Saturday night. The limb punched a hole in the roof, tore off the gutter, and damaged some yard items.
Trees that fall are caused by one or more factors: prior damage, insects, disease, draught, or no nutrients. The thing about trees that are at risk of falling is the tree can look okay from the outside, but on the inside it’s rotting. When it falls, not only is it harmed but also it damages others!
Trees can be beautiful and enliven the lives of those around them, or trees can be rotten inside and cause destruction in their downfall.
Our faith-life can be like trees in that way. When we follow the instructions of the Lord, our faith enriches our life to the point it overflows and enhances others, but if we are deprived of instruction, or let it sit and rot within us, we self-destruct, and our life begins to harm those around us. Healed people help people while hurt people, hurt people.
Is your spirit healthy—a healed person helping others? If so, how are you seeing God’s impact through you on others?
Or are you hurting inside, and is it hurting your relationship with others? If so, in what ways might God’s instruction and Spirit power work to bring healing to your life and soul and help others?