Skip to main content

Life of A Leaf

I was sitting in my living room one sunshiny day a couple of weeks ago, looking out our window at the changing leaves—soaking up all the beauty of fall. I began pondering autumn, and what it means when the leaves begin changing color. It means they are beginning to die. “Only God,” I thought, “would be able to design something that is dying to be so beautiful.” In the spring, the leaf begins budding with the excitement of new life; it grows and matures until it is a full [leaf?]. Then, as summer comes to an end, it turns a brilliant yellow or red or orange, going out in magnificent splendor before finally falling to the ground, where it becomes nutrients for the tree to produce more healthy and beautiful leaves the next year.

This holds so many parallels to the life of a Christian. We have such a short season on earth, but we have a specific purpose and calling: to display the life of Christ on earth. Although we may live in relatively little recognition during our lifetime, when we complete our earthly mission we go in splendor and hope for what is to come. There is always sadness when a believer dies, but it is always coupled with joy because of the evidence of the life of Christ in them. This then spurs us on toward greater love and commitment to Jesus—that when it is our time to enter into the presence of our King, we leave behind the same beautiful legacy.

We’ve all seen the trees or branches that have died because of a sickness or bug or natural disaster. The leaves are what bear the evidence of that. They are brown and dying long before they should, or have strange bumps and holes that disfigure them from what they ought to look like. They don’t have the chance to go out like those leaves on a healthy tree.

 We can never be too careful in what we are allowing to be the source of our nutrition. Are we allowing anything to feed us that will cause us to be infected and cause premature deadness?

My desire is that there would be nothing that is displayed in my “leaf” other than the source of True Life in Jesus. This means being diligent about what I allow to influence my mind and heart. When something is allowed in that isn’t of God, it doesn’t take long for the evidence of that to begin displaying itself in my thoughts, actions, and words.

We have such an immense privilege to be connected and changed and renewed by the Giver of Life, and we must not take it for granted! While those who do not know Him are spiritually diseased and withered, we can display to them the flourishing, never-ending life of Jesus—the hope we have of being with Him for all eternity, and living a life that is full of hope and peace and joy. Let us, dear sisters, be faithful to our Savior in this life so that when we die, we go in the rich golds and crimsons of the beautiful evidence of a life well lived for Him!

 By: Heather Cofer
Set Apart Girl Ministires

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Miriam

Miriam was the big sister of Moses. Her name (sometimes rendered as Mary in English) means 'bitter' although it could also signify 'one who loves or is loved by Yahweh'. Yahweh means 'the self-existent one'. Yahweh is one of the ways the children of Israel referred to God. Meet the family Amram and Jochebed were the father and mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses. Moses was the youngest of the three yet became the leader of the pack (Exodus 2:3-4; Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59). Moses was the man who led Israel out of Egypt. As the big sister of the family Miriam knew all the secrets. Women often get to know about things that men don't. When Pharaoh of Egypt decreed the death of all Israel baby boys in a desperate attempt to curb the growth of Israel, Amram and Jochebed put baby Moses into a waterproof basket and set it on the river in an attempt to save his life. It was Miriam who was watching the basket when the daughter of Pharaoh discovered it. It w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Feed My Sheep

Jesus Reinstates Peter John 21:15-20 New International Version (NIV) When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said,  “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said,  “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said,  “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him,  “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time,  “Do you love me?”  He said, “Lord, you know all things;  you know that I love you.” Jesus said,  “Feed my sheep.     Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”   Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Deborah

Deborah was a prophet, a leader (otherwise known as a Judge) in Israel as well as the wife of Lappidoth (Judges 4:4).  Deborah means 'bee'. Bees are responsible for pollination of flowering plants. Pollination is what creates seeds that grow into other plants. One third of the human food supply depends on insect pollination of plants and bees play a major role in this 1 . The biblical Deborah, like a bee, fulfilled an active and vital role in bringing life to the community. Background After the death of Joshua, the man who had led the Israelites into the land of Canaan, God raised up Judges to lead and rule Israel. The first Judges God used were Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar (Judges 3). And then came Deborah. In Deborah's day Israel had no overall leader. Everyone did whatever they pleased and the nation fell into sin and were oppressed by the Canaanites (Judges 21:25). Jabin was the Canaanite king during the era of Deborah. Sisera was the commander of Jabin's...
Post a Comment
Read more