Falling Leaves

Falling Leaves

October 30, 2019

Reprinted from October 29, 2009

While enjoying breakfast with family in the historic Multnomah Falls Lodge and admiring the waterfall on a very stormy day in October, I found myself unusually fascinated with something I have previously thought little about – falling leaves. For a short time, I entered their world and pondered the life experience of those multicolored, delicate objects as they left the tree and quickly fell to the ground.

There were large ones and small ones, and I doubt that any of them were exactly alike. Each tree had a multitude of leaves, so the thought of viewing them individually never occurred to me. As they fell to the ground, however, it was like each one made a brief but personal statement.

Since last spring, the leaves have offered shade and protection, but on this day, their life work was coming to an end. On individual display for a few seconds as they fell, they were making quite an impression on me. After their brief trip to the ground, they would be part of a colorful carpet and then soon disappear.

It was that trip to the ground that had me pondering because of the picture of life that they represent. Every human has a brief time to make a statement. Jesus said we are here today and gone tomorrow, while James compared our time on earth to vapor or steam – you see it and then it vanishes.

Those leaves left the tree and floated to the ground as though they had wings. Some turned and twirled, while others just dropped. Some fell all alone, while others fell in groups. But each one had its own brief time on display.

Some leaves are still hanging on, but eventually, each tree will have just one leaf left to make the final fall for the season. In a few months, a new crop of leaves will appear, and a year from now, those leaves will be making their final statement – a brief but impressive moment of individual recognition.

The falling leaves have reminded me of how much our life on earth is like them. Because there are so many people on this planet, we may feel like we are unnoticed and of little significance. But each of us has our moment of “display,” and even if we live to be 107 years old, it is but a brief vapor when compared to eternity. Our moment in time is our opportunity to display the character of God and the love of Jesus. Regardless of what the masses do, we are to live with commitment and effectiveness as representatives of Jesus until He calls us home to heaven.

When our “leaf” falls, we are on display for a moment as people reflect on who we were and what impact we made in their life. But our concern today should be about our life while “on the tree” as well as our final moment on display. We need to fulfill our role as one member of God’s big family, while staying very much aware of the message of falling leaves as it relates to our future.

It has been helpful for me to ponder these thoughts, and I hope that someone else might find encouragement and challenge in them as well. Thanks for thinking about it. I want so much for today as well as the final day of my life to make a positive statement.

Pastor Bill Ehmann

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECENT POSTS

“Talking with Jesus”

By wvbaptist | August 10, 2017 | 0 Comments

August 9, 2017 Conversation with someone we trust is an amazing gift. I would not want to be without the privilege I enjoy of spending time with Carol as we discuss life issues along with laughter, tears, dreams, hurts and […]

“The Joy of Walking”

By wvbaptist | August 2, 2017 | 0 Comments

August 2, 2017 Parents in Old Testament days were told to teach their children “when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Our […]

“Teamwork”

By wvbaptist | July 26, 2017 | 0 Comments

July 26, 2017 “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony” (Psalm 133:1). I observed this statement in action last Friday evening at the annual Wood Village City Nite Out on our church campus. While the […]

“Big Little Things”

By wvbaptist | July 20, 2017 | 0 Comments

July 19, 2017 So much of life focuses on big events and milestones – graduations, job promotions, marriage and birth of children. Sometimes years of preparation and anticipation precede these wonderful accomplishments. I have been thinking about little things that […]

“Consistency of the Sun and the Son”

By wvbaptist | July 13, 2017 | 0 Comments

July 12, 2017 This part of Planet Earth is enjoying the time of year when we see the sunrise nearly every morning. During much of the year, we have clouds and rain – sometimes we go for days without seeing […]

Scroll to Top