Fallen Beauty

Green leaves change to red, orange, and gold. A lush tree of summer becomes a multi-faceted flame of fall. The beauty attracts admirers. Scenic drives through the mountains engulf us in the breathtaking beauty of fall.

In time the leaves fall to the ground. When the fallen leaves blanket our yard, what do we see? A nuisance? A job to be done? The leaves lose their beauty when they fall.

Just as green leaves change to the brilliant hues of fall, we go through changes in our lives. Fresh seasons in our lives may attract the admiration of others. Family and friends celebrate our accomplishments when we graduate high school and college. Loved ones travel great distances to rejoice in a wedding or the birth of a child.

As fallen leaves lose their beauty, how do others see us when we fall down? A nuisance? A job to be done? We may lose the admiration of others as we lay broken on the ground.

My son used to pick up leaves and save them. He treasured their beauty even after they had fallen from the branches. He carried them bunched in his chubby toddler hands like a bouquet of flowers.

When we are in difficult situations that knock us down, let's see others not as a job to be done, but breathtaking beauty that has fallen.

Let's make an effort to pick up those around us who have fallen. Let's recognize their beauty and treasure them still.

"Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT)

"Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2 (NLT)