Seasons come and go, the leaves turn colors and fall from the trees…do you realize that they are pictures of what happens to the Body of Believers?
When a tree grows lush and green, it appears to flourish. But then the leaves begin to turn colors and they are beautiful. Take out the camera. Gorgeous, right? What happens after they turn?
Fall photo by Tom Michalski, Brennan, Washington, Used by permission
They fall from the tree.
I once desperately asked God not to allow the leaves to fall from a church we had back in the 80’s. I could see it coming, we were flourishing, had a packed room, the Spirit was moving…but it felt unstable. That’s hard to explain.
I remember the Lord impressed a picture on me – the seed pockets of those trees MUST fall from the tree and be carried away by the wind, or the tree cannot reproduce itself. I wasn’t to be dismayed by the scattering of the seeds, because it was part of the cycle of life.
My pastor had a heart attack after that night, and eventually went back to school to get his graduate degree. By then, the church was scattered, just like the seeds in my vision.
I was saddened by it, but because the Lord showed me His purpose, I was able to move on. That pastor is still a good friend and we meet up as often as we can to have coffee. And I’m a pastor now, so whatever God wants is fine with me.
Can you move on from things you don’t understand? When it seems like everything is falling apart, can you trust God’s purpose even if you don’t know what it is?
Love, Faye