Saturday, September 19, 2015

The Season of Leaves

I hate leaves... the dead leaves that make a home in my gutters and pile up all over my yard, porch, yard, flower beds, yard, patio... and did I mention yard??? I hate cleaning them out of all those places. I hate the smell of damp leaves that have been snoozing in the gutters and on the ground. I hate the critters that are hiding in the smelly wet leaves.

I was thinking about how much I hate those dead leaves today as I was scooping out the slime that was growing miniature trees in the gutters. And for an instant I wondered why we even have to mess with leaves in the fall. But then I was quickly reminded of Ecclesiastes chapter 3...  

There is a time for everything, 
and a SEASON for every activity under heaven. 

What if there were no leaves to clean up in the fall? 

I would miss out on the sweet flowers that appear on the trees as we welcome spring.

I would miss out on the new leaves and their sea of green that provide an umbrella of shade in the summer.

I would miss out on the miracle of the changing colors of the leaves that announce fall.

I would miss out on the bare branches that seem to strike a pose against the winter backdrop.

And I would miss out on recognizing how God's amazing creation changes with each SESAON! 

I turned my griping into rejoicing as I scooped leaves out of the gutters and raked them out of the garden. I actually found myself thankful for the smelly wet leaves. Thankful for the opportunity to be outside soaking up some sunshine and vitamin D. Thankful for getting a work-out while checking off an item on my to-do list. And thankful that my collection of leaves made the silly chickens so happy.

Yes, I am thankful for the season of leaves!




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2 comments:

  1. Nice to have met you over at Coffee for your heart! Thank you for the encouraging words on my blog. I enjoyed yours as well! I see you too are struggling with an illness. I'm 3 years into a chronic illness, P.O.T.S., for which there is no cure. It was through this journey God called me to write.

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    1. I started blogging during my journey, too! I'm horrible at journaling on paper, so I figured out how to start a blog for my own "journal" and to keep friends and family updated. It's been great therapy for me, and I'm anxious to see how God will use it and me for His glory!

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