I will never tire of the beauty that autumn brings. Annually, I am awestruck by the artistry that lines the streets and trails, colors the hills, and coats our neighborhoods in color. What fascinates me the most about this annual manifestation of Glory is that the most beautiful time in a tree’s life (in my humble opinion) is the time before death and dormancy.
In my fascination, I wonder why it is that God designed our forests to showcase such rich variances in color before stripping them bare for months. I wonder why it is that He calls our attention to the woodlands just before they lay their beauty to rest and stand disrobed before us.
And then I realize: there is indescribable beauty in surrender.
The trees are surrendered. They have control neither over their life cycle, nor over the timing of the seasons, nor over the color their leaves showcase when their production of chlorophyll slows. They simply are, and God simply does. And while He does, we marvel. We marvel at their transformation, we marvel at the beauty in their death.
But when it is our turn to surrender, do we? Do we simply “be” so God can simply do? Do we marvel as He does? Do we marvel at our transformation, at the beauty in our death? Or do we fight it? Do we prolong the process because we think there is a better option than surrender or because we refuse to be ready when He calls?