Leaves of Fall
By Ralphine Major
I was beginning to wonder if they were going to change color at all this season. Then, Mother Nature delivered—right on time. It’s October, and autumn is showing up in the beautiful fall foliage. The forest green leaves of summer have all but disappeared, turning the landscapes into a tapestry of red, yellow, and orange.
The image of a single leaf hanging from a cluster of leaves on the tree branch was a reminder of the colorful season we are now seeing, a season that has also had its share of monumental sorrow. Our rural community has been touched time and again recently by sadness. I think of a young officer who lost his life on a domestic call. After his memorial service at Clear Springs Baptist Church in Corryton, the burial had barely taken place when evil emerged overseas in a place called Israel. “Israel.” It was a word I first learned in Sunday School as a youngster many years ago and never dreamed that it would one day be the site of such unimaginable barbaric acts. Images of bloodstained baby beds, orphaned children, and utter destruction have been heart wrenching. Days later, Clear Springs became the site of another memorial service. This time it was for a Gibbs High School graduate who lost his life in the service of this country, just over two years since another Gibbs graduate gave his life in service for our nation as well. So much sadness as we inch closer to Christmas and the celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. For a moment, I will take in the beauty of a simple leaf almost suspended in time and think about—and pray for—a time of healing and peace for our nation and for our world.
Words of Faith: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 (KJV).