“Thy bounty shines in autumn unconfined and spreads a common feast for all that live.”
– James Thomson
As I reflect on the past two months, I am amazed at how beautiful this fall was. Every year I am surprised. And every year, I am surprised at my surprise. I watch the trees go from being bare in the winter to blooming in the spring, and are full of green leaves throughout the summer months. And, yes, every year I am surprised and amazed at the beautiful array of gifts I receive in the colors of the leaves. I have no idea why I do not remember which trees are going to produce the beautiful red leaves, versus the orange or yellow leaves. I would think, for all the time spent admiring them last year, that this year I would remember which trees produce which color leaves. But, I don’t, and I am glad. For me, it’s like Christmas morning. As I go outside in the crisp, autumn air, I look for what color of presents the trees are going to offer. Morning is the best time. It’s quiet and still. As the sunlight hits the leaves, the brilliant colors are revealed. For me, it’s just another way God show’s that he loves us. I’m glad I do not remember from year to year which leaves go with which trees, because it’s like I get to open God’s present for the first time. This year was exceptional. I was expecting the leaves to be dull and on the trees for a brief time. But, once again I was surprised. The colors seemed to be even more vibrant than I remembered them to be from last year. One Sunday morning stands out in my mind. I looked out my front window and the sunlight shining through the yellow leaves was awesome. It filled the entire window with a bright yellow. Later that morning as I was driving toward church, the brilliance of the leaves astounded me. What a beautiful gift! God, thank you for such a wonderful surprise!
Will you choose to look for the surprise in the gift that God has waiting for you?
Sincerely, Kevin Polky, CADC, LCSW