In the last month, we had a chance to go on a few trips and fully enjoy the picturesque views of American fall. Whether we went to Pennsylvania or South Carolina, the roads were surrounded by beautiful forests with colorful foliage. Those were the trips when you don't want to stare at your phone screen but only look around and enjoy nature.
Colorful Leaves and Different Lives
As I had a lot of time to watch and think, I noticed that all the trees (depending on the tree type) reflect fall time differently. Some become red, others - orange or golden. Some trees are still covered in green foliage while others lost most of their leaves. Moreover, the higher we went, the more obvious the colors were, while in the lower parts of the road fall hasn't taken its toll yet.
These colorful and various views reminded me of people: we all go through different seasons, our reactions to them are different, and many various factors influence the quality of our lives and the way people see us. All people have completely different life journeys, just like trees.
However, if people were trees in the fall, I think we would act in an odd way. The yellow ones would want to be red, red trees would complain that they're not golden, green trees would feel behind, and naked trees would be upset because they lost all their leaves too early.
Sounds funny, but think about it: isn't it exactly how we see life? We look around, start comparing ourselves to other people, and start complaining about our lives and circumstances, We say that we were born in the wrong country, get upset that we didn't get to the right school, rush to get married and have kids because everyone is doing it, and envy our neighbors because they make more. We sometimes don't realize that we all have our own lives and our own callings!
Creator Cares About His Creation
I believe that God has a special plan for every person, and He builds personal relationships with each one of us that can't be influenced by His relationships with others. In the same way, He gave each tree its own color, set the time of its ripening and fading, and gave it special flowers and fruits.
Why am I so sure that God cares so much for some trees? Because this is exactly what Jesus said! Just read this passage:
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matt. 6:26, 28-20)
Turns out, God gives His attention to every flower and every bird! All the beauty of nature that we see around us did not come from a random explosion or chaos, it is a carefully thought-out work of the talented Creator!
And if God Himself takes care of a lily, sparrow, or oak tree, how can He accidentally lose sight of my life? Have you ever seen videos where people recreate the moment of their creation and "accidentally" add too much of a certain ingredient?
God did not make this kind of mistake when He created us. He didn't distribute us around the earth with a random number generator, He didn't leave us on our own after we were born. He kneaded us in our mother's womb, knew us long before we were born, and surrounds us everywhere while we live on this earth!
As the psalmist once said,
O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
(Ps. 139:1-5)
What Is Wrong With Me?
Maybe your life is very different from your roommate's, classmate's, or even your sister's life. Maybe you often ask yourself: "why am I even part of this family?" Maybe you regret that God didn't give you good math skills or a chance to get a well-paid job. Maybe you pray for years to get married or have children, maybe pictures of other people's successes on the internet cause you pain. Maybe you think that God doesn't love you as much as He loves your pastor, your worship leader, or your righteous mom.
But this is not true! You and I are precious in the eyes of our Father! And His plan for you is perfect if you trust Him in your steps. It can be different from God's plan for me, your friend, or apostle Peter. Your calling may be very different. Your leaves may fall down way sooner, and your fruit may seem not as juicy or not as numerous. But Jesus called people who worry about it too much, "oh you of little faith"!
Don't look at your neighbor, set your eyes on Jesus. Keep doing the good work, putting your trust in your Father. Thank Him for your journey. Trust your heart, your lips, and your decisions to Him. Pray about your worries and concerns. When you come to Heaven, God will not ask you why your friend's leaves were greener than yours. He will ask you what fruit you brought for His Kingdom. How you fought your battles, how you worshipped for your blessings.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun (Ps. 37:5-6).
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