I love this time of year! I feel like nature has given me many gifts recently. After a long day of work, I have smiled at the beautiful colors in the sky as the sun sets at the exact time I am driving home. My attention has been focused on the dry grass and dieing flowers... now, I am trying to look up at the beautiful changing colors of trees. What a difference a change in focus makes for how you view the world.
Recently I was listening to a motivational tape that challenged the listener to pick something in nature (or animals) that your spirit feels it needs to model. It gave examples of watching a cat lie in the sun... should you model that relaxed spirit? Or a seed in the earth.... patiently growing to full bloom... should you model that patience? I'll admit it - I wasn't' in the mood to reflect on nature and how my spirit should model it. I wasn't quite sure I understood the point of it anyway.
Then the words of an old client rang in my head. This lady had visited the depths of depression that some can't come out of. She was consistently improving, she was more healthy, she was alive again. The right type of medicine certainly played a role in her recovery. A role, but not all of it. I asked her, "What did you do differently that you think made a difference?" . She responded, "I tried all the things that everyone told me to try... without judgement I just tried." Too often we judge that something won't work, so we don't do it. But, if we try, then we may be pleasantly surprised.
Pooh. I guess I had to try.
Then I saw the beautiful tree... changing colors.. half green, half yellow and pink, half of it's leaves falling. That was it. That was what my spirit needed to model. How to be OK with change.
Whenever change is in my life -- positive or negative -- I want to slam on the brakes, re-think it all, and find some arguments for why change should not be happening! I can imagine if I were that tree... I wouldn't let any leaves fall without an argument, those were MY leaves and needed to stay with ME!! And the colors look so beautiful, but, would I miss the green? And didn't the pretty colors mean that they would just leave me soon? Then I would be bare. Would people forget about me? Could I make it without leaves?
Yes - I would be a neurotic tree.
There's something to be learned from that tree, though. Change is a part of life. Change can be beautiful. Change can be frightening. Change is necessary for re-birth and growth. We have to let some things go in order to enjoy the process of what God has in store for us. We have to trust in that process.
I have never heard a tree arguing with God about it's plans. We do it all the time, though. This week let's reflect on change.. good ones and bad ones. Keep your mind focused on the greater cycle of life.. the bigger picture... not the one leaf that is falling to the ground.
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