There are lots of things to love about fall. Most people don’t love raking leaves…… Unless you are a kid.

It makes me think of a Japanese proverb…. “If you feel like you have lost everything, remember this, trees lose their leaves every year, yet they still stand tall and wait for better days to come”

Growing up in Michigan I still remember the feeling of doing flips into large leaf piles as my dad painstakingly did the hard work of clearing the yard of the dead remnants of our once beautiful trees. It was a time of year that signified a turning point into 6 months of driving up the driveway to a yard filled with seemingly lifeless vegetation.

Life is often compared to “seasons”. Summer is often used to signify a time of growth and prosperity. Winter, on the other hand, is often referenced as a time of scarcity and/or “hardship”.  But sandwiched between the two is “fall”.

When it comes to fall, the Google isn’t very “hopeful” about this “season” of life.

It is often used to describe a time of life when you recognize past mistakes (coming off of summer) and “a time of survival”.

And, we all know what comes next, winter. The prosperity of summer has faded, the leaves are falling, and we face the “uncertainty” potentially lifeless, seemingly “dead” trees to reinforce just how much we had “messed up” (and now our “paying the price”). Insert dramatic effect, but if you know, you know.

We have all experienced a “fall”. Maybe you are in one right now. Maybe your life is unraveling, and you are fighting to keep the leaves on the tree. Maybe you are seeing the leaves fall and are imagining the barron, dark winter that lies ahead. If so, you are not alone. We have ALL been there.

But there are no “accidents” in nature. Trees, by their very nature, are perfectly designed to survive….. pun intended.

Trees, in the north, shed their leaves in the fall to conserve water and energy in preparation for winter when conditions become harsh.

And, trees lose their leaves in the fall so that the branches will be lighter and not break from the snow and ice.

The real life experience is no different. You will be hard-pressed to find an older adult without hundreds of examples of many “winters” preceding a “summer”.

How was this possible? Because humans, by our very nature, were designed to not just survive but to thrive.

Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world, credits most of his financial success to investing when the market was “struggling”. He is quoted as saying “be greedy when others are fearful”.

Now, I am no financial expert, however, his quote can easily be applied to life.

We have two options when we are struggling. Option one is to be fearful of the potential catastrophe that lies ahead. Or, be greedy.

Be “greedy” with your struggle and turn it into your super power.

Be “greedy” with the growth opportunities that arise from the struggle.

Here is the truth…… you aren’t here to just survive this life. You are here because you have a gift.  We are all here to use our gifts and leave this earth better than we found it.

YOU are here for a reason and for this season.

I feel lucky to now live in Florida where I get to walk streets lined with palm trees. It reminds me of my childhood when we would drive down from New York (second half of childhood) for vacation. Palm trees always meant we were getting close to our vacation destination. Today, staring at the tall lanky trees, It is pure nostalgia.

I remember the feeling of driving into “summer” (leaving Georgia and crossing the Florida line) and forgetting about the lifeless, barron trees we had just “escaped”. As a kid, it was paradise. And arguably still is.

Palm trees are much different than the trees up north. They are tall and lanky and have massive leaves and deep roots.

But it wasn’t always this way. Palm trees adapted over hundreds of years in response to the harsh tropical climate.

The thin flexible trunk evolved in response to the beatings from the harsh hurricane winds. And the deep roots grew in search of water from the dry surface of the earth.

By growing vertically versus outward, they were able to “out compete” other vegetation for sunlight. Trees that grew to slowly didn’t get sunlight and died.

In other words, those beautiful, tall, lanky trees that I associate with an endless summer have not arrived “unscathed”. They arrived after many, many years of enduring the “beatings” from the harsh climate. And yet, they not only survived, but they are also thriving in the beautiful “endless summer.”

The parallels of seasons, trees, nature, and life can’t be understated.

Trees in the north shed their leaves in the winter so they can thrive in the summer. Yet, in the fall, it looks like a mess that just needs to be “cleaned up.

Trees in the south grow tall and thin to protect us from the harsh summer sun that we long for when it is missing from the Florida sky (ok, or maybe just me).

Trees were designed for a reason and are called to “serve” in a variety of ways based on the season.

Here is the hard reality, if you are in a “winter”, you might be able to “vacation” for a while (ie: ignore the problem, comfort yourself with food, shopping, alcohol, “medical marijuana”….etc), but you will eventually need to return home.

You may also opt to focus on the dead lifeless tree and fret about the mess of leaves that you need to clean up on the ground (ie: perseverate on the “problem”, be self critical about past behaviors, blame others…etc.).

But I can’t help but think we all have a little bit of “Warren Buffet” on the inside of our soul.

A place in our heart that has experienced life and knows that winter is just a season and that the leaves MUST fall periodically throughout our life.

But more than that, even when everything around us gives the appearance of “summer”, we did not arrive at this place without years and years of “harsh winds”.

There is a story in the bible in the book of Exodus where God sent his servant Moses to rescue the Israelites from the Egyptians (who were holding them captives as slaves). God promised Moses that he would be the one to lead the Israelites out of Eqypt and to the promised land (Canaan). And God “delivered” on his promise.  But he didn’t send them on the straightest route nor protect them from many, many hardships (including famine, droughts, and unprovoked attacks).

A trip that should have taken 11 days, took 40 years. Regarding the 40 years of  “hardship” in the desert (and there are many opinions) is that 40 years in the desert was necessary for spiritual growth and development. In other words, God did not believe the Israelites were ready spiritually and maybe even mentally, emotionally, and physically to go directly to Canaan.

But the Israelites could not see, nor understand this when they were in the depths of the desert. For 40 years they “grumbled” more often than not.  They were mad about their present situation and had forgotten about their previous situation (a life of slavery) and did not believe that their future situation was going to be better.

The good news for us today is that God has already delivered all of his children from death to life. He has freely given us the blessing of the promised land that the Israelites were longing for. And he is giving us everything we need to “overcome” the hardships we face in this life. That is the hope that is available to ALL of creation.

Life is seasonal. “Winter” and “fall” are not “ifs”, but “whens”.

And

There is ALWAYS a summer. What we choose to focus on does not only influence the present, but might also influence the depth and breadth of our “fall” and “winter”.

If you are in a “fall” (and you feel like the leaves are falling all around you), how can you replace fear of the future with a hunger to take advantage of the present? What leaves has God shed that have the potential to weigh you down for the “winter months”?

Are you choosing to escape the situation or are you taking advantage of it?

“If you feel like you have lost everything, remember this, trees lose their leaves every year, yet they still stand tall and wait for better days to come”