Why Change is a Good Thing

While I was out driving this morning I saw something, a tree, that literally took my breath away. 

It was a small tree lining the edge of a somewhat busy road-- not the type of tree, or in the space, you would expect for a "wow" kind of moment.  The sky was clear blue and frost covered the ground and branches.  It was one of the first mornings this year when the temperature dipped below 30…and while I'm not always a cold weather fan, I do love a cold sunny day. 

The branches of the tree looked black, darkened by the frost, and hanging from the branches were the

most exquisite little yellow berries. I was struck by how beautiful they were and also by the fact that I had never noticed them before. 

Have those been here all along? I've driven this road hundreds of times in my younger years and as an adult and I've never noticed how beautiful they were before. I've never noticed a tree with yellow berries at this time of year before. 

I almost laughed aloud. How clever of you God, I thought. I always notice something new at the changing of the seasons. 

As I continued to drive with my senses now heightened I observed tree after tree…With most of their leaves having fallen to the ground it was easy to see the branches and how they all seemed to be pointing straight up towards the sky. Almost as if they were in church, singing a song of worship, with their hands stretched out towards God. 

Of course…all of nature…pointing us back towards God…when we take the time to look and appreciate it in all of it's incredible detail. 

Psalm 66:4 says, "All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” 

It is part of the reason that I love this time of year…I love the transition between seasons. If the trees simply stayed green and lush all year, I would enjoy them, but I would start to forget to notice them. They would become such a consistent part of the backdrop of my life that I would take their beauty for granted and simply drive by them more times than not. 

When they change…when their leaves transform from green to gold, and then begin to fall; when their branches stand bare and glisten with frost and snow; when the buds re-emerge and then the leaves start to grow again…then we notice. 

And so today I am thankful for the changing seasons. I am thankful that I live in the Northeast where I  get to appreciate God's creative and genius design that perks up my senses every three months, just as I start to fall into a stupor and stop noticing. 

Change is a good thing. 

On that topic, but off the topic (bear with me), Ava asked us to change the positioning of some of our living room furniture this weekend. I obliged because I love her creativity and her spark to want to change things up sometimes. I've gotta tell you, I'm LOVING the new placement of things. It has totally reopened some space in our living room and everyone has been dancing and doing cartwheels and enjoying the new traffic flow. 

I'll snap some shots when they are all here dancing and post them later. 

Life Lesson: When things start to get dull, take a walk to notice the trees and move your couch to a different place. I kid you not, it added such a perk to our weekend!