Leaves of Gold

I used to chuckle and turn away when someone began to talk about heading North and East “to see the trees.” I couldn’t imagine why one would make a trip to see such a thing when trees right here in the heart of North Central Texas turn gold (sorta) too.

Then, almost by accident, I went North and East in the Fall. If you’ve been I don’t have to talk about it, and if you haven’t you won’t get it anyway. It was the first time I had actually seen a “burning bush.” (For you novices that is tree with leaves so brightly red and gold one would swear it was on fire but not consumed)

There may be trees like that in Texas (Lost Maples State Park?), but mainly you have to go somewhere else to enjoy that kind of striking beauty.

I llove the Fall. I know the trees are going dormant (dying, if you will, to return to life in the Spring) and it makes me think about what old age for Believers ought to be. A time of great beauty, of brilliance and wisdom beyond compare, as one gets closer to the door called death that leads to transformation into complete Christ-likeness.

The sad Truth is – a lot of older folks aren’t getting more beautiful. I don’t want to be one of them. I hope my kids and grand-kids can say after I am gone (or even before if they wish), “Papa was a beautiful old man – wise and lloving, kind and gentle, laughing and living fully in the power of God’s Spirit.”

Of course I am going to need a few more years to get anywhere close to the place where my family might think that – much less say it. But I’m hopeful . . . .