Leaf Season
On a cold and brisk November day, the leaves kept coming down as the wind blew harder. I gave up raking leaves and went in.
The next day was like the movie, Ground Hog Day, where the same scenes repeat. I raked, blew, gathered, ported, and dumped leaves, and by the end of the day, I could see grass again. Beautiful. Until the next morning…
The leaves, blown by evening winds, nearly buried us. This went on for weeks until finally, the last of the leaves fluttered to the ground. We blew leaves until dark the last day so that the 6-foot pile of leaves from this week’s work could be sucked up by the city’s leaf machines.
Though I loved the color of the fall leaves, clearing the leaves seemed like a job that had no end. No matter how hard we tried, there wasn’t an end to this cycle. If we’re honest, our Christian lives feel that way at times. The repetitive cycle of trying our best, reading our Bibles, praying, attending church and serving others get to us, especially when criticism, difficult situations and trials come our way. We start to feel buried beneath the stuff of life.
Paul knew this feeling, having lived through more bumps and bruises in his Christian walk than any of us are likely to encounter. He spoke from the heart, living through the hard places of isolation, jail time, and repeated rejections from those who were supposed to be his brothers. These are the words of victory, “Don’t be weary in well-doing; for in due season we will reap if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). Today, when you’re weary and tempted to quit, know that if we keep going, we are promised a harvest.
TH