From The Pastor’s Desk, October, 2007......
By Hal Polk, BraceBeagling 
October 06, 2007

Not long ago I was talking with one of the young people in my life about the change of the seasons. We thought together about the wisdom and kindness of the Lord in appointing these regular alterations in the appearance and affect of His Creation.

Each season is refreshing in its arrival, and each gets worn and frayed with the passing of time, making the next welcome when it comes.

Fall is a marvelous season for several reasons. The crisp chill of the morning air, the particularly vivid colors, and the beauty of October sunrises and sunsets. And, of course, the spectacular color display of the trees in our Michigan woods are both a certain sign and one of the thrills of fall.

I was surprised to learn a few years ago that the colors we see in the fall are in the leaves from their beginning in spring! We don’s see them because the green color covers the reds and yellows. In the fall, when the cold nights begin to have their effect, the green fades another colors appear.

Inside you and me as God’s children are beautiful qualities that are often masked by other factors in our personalities.

Sometimes God, in His perfect wisdom, leads us into times of testing and suffering (similar to the chilly nights for the leaves), By these times we are changed. We become more patient, more understanding, more caring, less critical. The same God who brings out the beauty in the the simple leaves He has made also brings out the virtues of Christian character in us.

Think of this the next time you admire the beauty of the trees. Think of this the next time you “suffer” and rejoice!!