Turning Loose the Leaves - Martin Wiles

As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night. Genesis 8:22 NLT

The leaves fell, and I knew there were some things I needed to let fall as well.

During one autumn week, the wind blew, and the leaves descended like dive-bombers from the trees. I watched maple trees, filled with pulsating red leaves, release them, letting them tumble to the ground.

As my feet trudged through the mounded leaves, I thought of the above verse. What God had promised was happening. But just as surely as the trees freed their leaves, I too had to free my life of things that have a habit of hanging on if I were going to enjoy God’s best.

Bitterness was one leaf I had to let fall. Reasons for bitterness—against others, God, or both—can be numerous. Perhaps the trials of life have gotten us down, and we begin to wonder whether or not there is a God who cares. Maybe relationships or jobs have ended unexpectedly. When bitterness hangs on, life is miserable.

Unfair decisions are another leaf. These are made by others but affect us. The decision to end a job, a relationship, a contract, or even a life. We can’t control unfair decisions made by others. The feeling of being powerless leads to despair and can easily usher in hopelessness—and its bedfellow, depression.

Past hurts can hang like unfallen autumn leaves. Life is filled with them. We can hurt others, intentionally or unintentionally, and others can hurt us. Hurts … well, hurt. They put a damper on life. Wishing they could be undone only leads to further misery.

Unforgiveness is like the stubborn leaf that refuses to fall. Hurts must be forgiven, or bitterness and a life of misery will follow.

Physical pain is also an unwelcome leaf. Especially when doctors can’t find the cause, when medicine isn’t doing the trick, or when my prayers for God’s healing don’t bring relief.

While we may have no control over physical pain or others’ unfair decisions that hurt us, we can avoid the leaves of bitterness and unforgiveness. What’s in the past is in the past and should stay there. Reliving it or using it as an excuse for present unwise behavior keeps the leaf from falling where it can do what God designed it to do.

Let the unhealthy leaves fall from your life tree and enjoy the life God gives you.

Father, give me power to let go of those things that keep me from the abundant life you offer. 

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