Thoughts to Ponder

It is autumn again – where does the summer go?  The year is drawing to a close as the leaves change their hues.  I always enjoy the fall colors, the crisp air, and the brilliant blue skies typical of Indian Summer.  At the risk of sounding morbid, I will say that fall is a time of death.  As the sap slows in the cooler weather, the leaves lose their life nourishment and begin to die.  That is why we see the trees garbed in their variegated garments.


As I thought on this, I was reminded that dying is a part of living.  Anyone who lives knows that one day he will also die.  For the person who knows Christ as his Savior, death is not just a reality, but a beautiful thing.  Just as the leaves, while beautiful in their verdant summer green, become absolutely breathtaking as their short life comes to a close, the person who knows Christ should not just fade out into eternity, but should become a more beautiful and glorious testimony to God’s glory.

Why is death so beautiful, you may ask?  The process of dying is not one that is easy or fun – I in no way wish to convey that idea.  Death for the Christian is not an end, it is the door through which he must walk to be with God for all eternity.  The Bible says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”   This sounds strange and perhaps even dangerous to those who do not understand, but let me explain my ponderings on this verse.  God created man to be His companion, perfect, free from sin, disease, and death.  When man chose to sin, he destroyed that perfect environment, bringing alienation from God, pain, suffering, and death upon the whole human race.  Through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, man can again have a relationship with God, but it is tainted by his sinful flesh.
Only in death can man once again have a perfect relationship with God, free from pain, sorrow, sin, and suffering.  That state is what God created for us – what He meant for our lives to be.  He loves us, and does not enjoy seeing His children suffer.  No wonder he rejoices in the death of His saints – they are no longer suffering the effects of sin, and are restored to a perfect relationship with Him!

So when I see the leaves turning colors, these are the thoughts that go through my mind.  Yes, I am dying – we all are, bit by bit – but I want to become something glorious in death.  Something that draws others to my Savior Who made my life worth living, and living for Him.  Each day brings me closer to the day when I will cast off this fragile shell and be with Him forever.  What  a day that will be!