Golden Leaves Soon To Fall
Right outside my upstairs window is a maple tree prominently adorning it’s autumn glory providing constant inspiration to my quiet times and daily writing. How can you not be inspired while sitting at your desk looking into this seasonal marvel?! The reflection from the leaves creates a golden glow inside this room and across the page.
A huge part of me wants to put nature on pause. Just when I begin to welcome the sights and smells of autumn, the multi-colored leaves descend to the ground, the trees become lonely and winter settles in. I know it is coming, but I want to hold on to these moments. Time seems to be running by me too fast.
This is the life of a season. They only last for a time.
I pondered this more in my journal a couple of days ago:
Moments like this I wish could last forever. But like the earth, it is a fading pleasure. Underneath autumn’s spectacular glory is a reality only known to the core. Autumn trees are dying trees. Even now the yard below is busy with squirrels and birds also preparing for winter’s creeping death. Autumn is a time of beautiful dying.
The echos of this truth ring loudest in my spiritual life. My life should faithfully be an autumn time. Dying to myself, my desires, my wants, my culture, my sin. It is a battle and calling we only know in our core. This daily death is painful and difficult, but not without beauty and inner joy. We are most beautiful when we are dying to ourselves and living for Jesus.
Is is a strange paradox – but a beautiful one.
Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25) This is the whole of the Christian life: we die in order to live. “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13)
This is what Christ has called us to. Something He Himself did first. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18) Because He died to bring us true life, we follow in this calling. Our dying is a witness, like the splendor of autumn, for all to see.
It is only when we die that new life can live. Autumn is just the beginning of Spring.
Similar Posts:
Filed under: Gospel, Reflections, Scripture on November 6th, 2008
I'm Kaysie, 22. Jesus follower. Lover of sunshine, trees, hot tea, books, music, family, the gospel, poetry and Barnes and Nobles. Has a weird obsession with paper. Over-analyzes almost everything. Adores simplicity. Lucky for you. 
What a beautiful reminder of an important truth!
I love the picture too. Now that is a good sized tea mug!
Kaysie, what a lovely reminder! Even in our dying to self we can be beautiful. Thank-you for sharing your ponderings. This aspect of the Christian life fascinates me…how in dying we live. I do not understand it, but I am asking the Lord to teach me more about being alive to Him.
Today I wrote a post on my blog entitled “A Blog Worth Reading,” the blog in focus being…yours!
Thank you!
Stephanie, thank you for your comment. You like my tea mug? Thanks! It looks a little bigger in this picture than it really is, but it is a perfect size.
I got it at Lifeway. I like mugs with a message. This one says: Hope. It’s a good reminder for me.
Rosanne, I don’t fully understand this “dying to live” aspect either. But like you said, I am asking the Lord more about it and finding help to live it out.
That is so sweet of you to write a post about my blog! Thank you! You are such an encouragement, and I thank you.
Hi Kaysie,
I actually did a short review of your blog a little bit ago along with some of my other favorite blogs.
You have a lovely blog! 
I love autumn. It’s so beautiful!! We have a yellow maple tree right outside our dining room window, and it’s just gorgeous! So are the red dogwoods. I could go on!
Anyway, Great post! 
Blessings!
Julia
Autumn, winter, and spring provide me with so many ways to learn more about the Lord and my spiritual walk. The same is true of you!
Julia, I just saw your post about the blogs you enjoy, and what you wrote about me and Alabaster Box was so encouraging. That was too sweet of you. Thank you for doing that.
Glad to find another autumn lover! Autumn is such a wonderful season…
Ella, I agree. The season carry so many messages of truth that we can relate to.
That was beautiful and well written Kaysie. What a wonderful view you have, too! Our leaves fell off the trees completely about 2 weeks ago. It’s pretty gray right now
But like you said, this death leads to life!
Love you
Phylicia
Just this morning, I was meditating on Lk. 9:23 on denying self. And this came as a perfect add on to my morning devotion. It gave me the encouragement to continue dying to self – that it is a beautiful thing like Autumn and not something to feel overwhelmed with.
Thank you for sharing your journal writings. It really encouraged me!!
Phylicia, thank you. I know, I love my view out my window. It is so inspiring. I am sorry all your leaves are gone. It is raining a lot today which is taking the leaves with it at my house too.
But Spring will come!
Kalani, wow amazing! That is a great cross-reference in Luke. God is amazing how He can be teaching us the same things at times.
Wow, you still have leaves on your trees?! Almost all of our trees are already bare; it probably doesn’t help that we live in Kansas-a very windy state.
God bless your day!
Before I even finished reading your post I was thinking to myself, “Yet the beautiful thing is — spring always comes after fall!!”
Wonderful, wonderful thoughts. I loved it.
Naomi, yes, our leaves are still hanging on!
It must be difficult for Kansas to retain it’s autumn.
Noelle, thank you. Isn’t it such a beautiful thought? Autumn is just the beginning of Spring. Thanks for your comment.