Let it Go
It’s officially the first week of fall!
My favorite thing about this time of year is the leaves changing, and although we’re still a couple of weeks out from peak fall colors here in western Pennsylvania, we’re already starting to see the signs of change coming. While I like fall, I’ve always felt it was a hard season to fully enjoy because it never seemed to last long enough (and it meant that the cold of winter was right around the corner). I’d feel a twinge of sadness that these beautiful trees lose their leaves with nothing left but bare branches.
Something that I learned recently though has given me a new outlook on the season. As the weather changes and daylight shortens approaching autumn, trees undergo a process called abscission. Here’s my non-botanist synopsis: As the days get shorter, there isn’t enough daylight to continue producing the chlorophyll necessary to sustain green, leafy growth. As production slows and ultimately comes to a halt, nutrients are drawn back into the tree from the leaves, the colors change, and a protective layer of cells forms between the leaf stem and the branch, causing the leaf to detach from the tree.
Long story short: It isn’t that something has been lost or is being taken from them—it is a purposeful letting go. And it is in this letting go that they are able to make it through the next season.
This process reminds me of the parable of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19 who asked Jesus what he needed to do in order to have eternal life. When Jesus responded that he must go and sell his possessions, giving the proceeds to the poor, the rich man went away sad. He was unable to let go of the things he had. An important part of the story though is that Jesus said if the man did what Jesus asked, he would have treasure in heaven. Jesus wasn’t trying to take from the man. He wanted the rich man to willingly give what was in his hand in order to receive something greater.
Change can be scary and the unknown intimidating, but we know that God isn’t looking to diminish us. We can rest in the fact that we serve a good God who has good plans for us. If you find yourself feeling resistant to change or holding on to things perhaps a little too tightly, I encourage you to have an honest time of introspection on why that is. For the rich young ruler, he couldn’t see past the good he had for the best God waiting for him. Maybe for you it’s a matter of control, trust, or fear. Take a look at what is holding you back from stepping into this next season, and reflect on the specific ways God has been faithful to you in the past. Remember that there is necessity and even beauty to be found in letting things go.