On God and Autumn Leaves

Yesterday, Emily and I drove up the road to Maynardville to look at the autumn leaves... We didn't have a ton of time on our hands since it was kinda late in the afternoon. But, I wanted to drive her someplace out in the country where we could get away, have a nice drive, and check out the colorful leaves as the valley and Knoxville gave way to the bigger hills and smaller towns. We hope Emily is going to have a C-section on Tuesday, so this was probably our last chance to drive around "peacefully" for awhile.

The funny thing I noticed was that the further we got from Knoxville, the less colorful the leaves seemed to be. There were some really cool colors, like lemon-lime, UT orange, and maroon-red. (I won't say 'Bama crimson!) But, the intensity we expected just wasn't there. Apparently the weather hasn't been all that great for leaf colors. It was a little disappointing, until we drove back to Knoxville late in the afternoon.

What we noticed is that some of the most beautiful colors are just outside our front and back doors! Black Oak Ridge is showing some beautiful fall colors. And Emory Road from Halls to Gibbs and Tazewell Pike from Gibbs to Fountain City feature just about the most colorful displays we've seen this year.

So, on the day that we left town to "see the leaves," we realized that the very trees I pass every day on the way to work at the HoneyBaked Ham store, and the leaves we pass on the way back from Wal-Mart are just about as cool as any out there this year.

Isn't it true that we often fail to see God at work around us, in our lives, and in the lives of our friends and family because we are too focused on other places, things, and people? Sometimes we just need to open our eyes to things around us. Sometimes, we will see God at work in our lives. Other times, we will see ways that we can love others in the name of Christ. It's something to think about as you go about your daily routine, whether it's driving down the road or in your daily relationships.

There's no super-duper verse in the Bible that talks about fall leaves... But Psalm 1 is a cool chapter in a cool book. Check it out and enjoy a book that's been the favorite of many over the years.

Have a great week!