be a leaf

I am captivated by the colors of autumn leaves.  I could spend hours looking up from underneath trees decorated in red, orange, and gold with the amazing Colorado blue sky peeking through the leaves.  If I was an artist, every painting would be an attempt to capture the vibrant colors.  (I do take a ridiculous number of leaf pictures!)  But, I am a biologist and a Jesus-girl (Thank you Lysa Terkeurst for that term!) and an amateur writer...the perfect trifecta for what you are about to read!  :)

During spring and summer, deciduous leaves are green with the pigment chlorophyll.  Chlorophyll is the dominant and very necessary pigment in plants that allows them to store the energy of sunlight in carbohydrates so that we animals can use the energy.  When the hours of darkness began to increase in the fall, chlorophyll degrades, allowing the other pigments present to shine forth.  Those pigments are already there, but they are hidden by the chlorophyll.  Quick biology lesson there...now the Jesus-girl speaks.

We humans can be like leaves.  The chlorophyll represents our sinful human nature.  If we let it, our human nature will hide the Jesus in us.  I could write pages listing my human flaws, but that is not my point.  Galatians 2:20 says I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  Ephesians 3:17-19 says that Christ dwells in my heart through faith and I am filled to the measure of all the fullness of God with His love.  Colossians 1:27 says that Christ in me is the hope of glory.

I will allow Jesus to break down the "chlorophyll" in me so that He shows through.  I want more of the vibrant colors of Jesus (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) to shine in my life.  I want my actions and my words and my life to display the love of Jesus through the fabric of Dawn that God carefully and intentionally wove.   I want to be an autumn leaf!