Time for a Change
Looking for the nudge? Read this.
The leaves know it’s time.
They’ve done their job and it’s time to let go.
They pile up.
They blow to and fro, twirling and swirling, in their dance toward the ground.
Their heightened hues holler as if to say, “Look at me! I’m not what I used to be.”
As an observer of autumn leaves that tremble as they hold on until the end then tumble back and forth as they reach the ground, I am noticing that nothing stays the same. Change is going to happen. My eyes see their beauty and I’m grateful to witness this season filled with waiting and pausing to see what has been, what is now and knowing that the days ahead will look different with the leaves gone. The trees are alive and well while their leaves, thrust by the wind, blow to their new place; a place that looks and feels different from what they’re used to and from what they have experienced before.
The leaves weren’t meant to stay on the tree forever. It is God’s design to have seasons and allow the leaves, at just the right time, to lose their green color and become a new version of themselves. They are still leaves as they become shades of crimson, tangerine and rust, just with a new look and eventually with a new home, the ground.
The leaf has only ever known its place on a tree. We can see that outside forces away from the tree like wind help the leaf let go of the limb. However, it’s the internal change to the leaf that allows the external force to make its move. A food factory that produced chlorophyll iniside of each leaf decides to shut down but did it’s job to make the tree grow prior to its retirement. As the green chlorophyll fades, the yellows and oranges which always resided in the leaves get their turn to be noticed.
But then the red hues explode once the cooler fall air and bright sunny days occur. I learned the following information about how red leaves are birthed.
“The fall weather reaches a point where the days are warm enough for the food factories to operate, but the nights are too cold for the sugars which are produced to move downward in the tree. In the presence of bright light, the sugars trapped in the leaves form the red pigments, anthocyanins. The brighter the light, the greater the production of anthocyanins, and the more brilliant the colors we see. When the days of autumn are bright and cool, and the nights chilly, but not freezing, the brightest foliage colors will develop. Familiar trees with red or scarlet leaves are red maple, dogwood, red oak, scarlet oak, and sassafras.” (Source: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Forestry/Foliage/Why-Leaves-Change-Color#:~:text=The%20chlorophyll%20breaks%20down%20and,yellow%20to%20red%20to%20blue.)
On a November morning as I lay in bed, being still before God and praying for him to give me the right words from His Word to start my day, I turned in my Bible to 1 Kings and read the story of how King David set into motion events that would allow Solomon, his son with Bathsheba, to be his successor. I have been praying about my future plans and am so grateful that God had me turn to this particular story in his Word which has taught me so many lessons today.
I noticed distinct milestones in that story.
Kind David was old and must have known he would not live forever.
He listened to news from his wife, Bathsheba, and Nathan, the prophet, which let him know that one of his sons had set himself up as the next King.
He reminded his wife of an oath that he had made that their son, Solomon, would become the next King.
He gave instructions for specific people and for his own mule to be used to carry Solomon to a place where he’d be annoited King.
He arranged for his son to be King and witnessed Solomon sitting on David’s former throne.
The Jewish people rejoiced over David’s choice of Solomon as the next King.
David’s son, Adonijah, exalted himself and decided to not consult with his dad about the future. He gathered supporters who helped him carry out his plan. This plan, however, was not what King David wanted. He must’ve known it was about time to name his successor due to his age, but the news that Adonijah had tried to usurp the throne, gave rise to a decision.
King David, who trusted in God, had the final word as King. He must’ve needed the news of his rebellious son’s plan to help him devise the actual plan to make Solomon become king.
I know that God puts people in our lives, like Nathan, the prophet, or a spouse, like David’s wife, to reveal information that we might not realize. God certainly used Bathsheba and Nathan to help David see that he must be true to an oath that he had made earlier in his life to make Solomon sit on the throne of Israel.
Ultimately, David shared how he wanted Solomon annointed as King and specific individuals carried out his plan. David decided when and how his retirement would look.
When change arrived, the whole country could rejoice in the choice of Solomon because David, not Adonijah, had the final word.
I think it’s wise to look at the facts of our lives and make decisions that will honor God and his will for our lives. Our choices have lasting impacts on ourselves, our families and others. Having wise council and listening to their advice will give us the needed input to make the next right move in our lives.
The external temperature from our career can cause our internal wisdom to kick in much like the leaves know when to change color and let go. I wonder if David, although aged, didn’t want to let go as King which is why he hadn’t named Solomon as King prior to the news of Adonijah’s coup. Perhaps we may have a feeling that we need to make a change, but need to look at the facts surrounding our careers and lives to help us know how to make a plan for the next chapter. We may not know what to do, but with God’s direction, he will guide and provide for what’s next.
I want to be still before God so I can listen to his voice through his Word and in prayer. God will show me the needed information to help me make wise choices for my future as I read his Word and pray.
If you need direction, ask God to show you the way. Ask him to give you godly wisdom and advice from wise friends and counselors so that you will be able, like King David, to know how to prepare for the future and make decisions that honor God.
God is with us especially in the moments of indecision. He makes it clear as we trust in him. Prior to making his declaration of his plan to make Solomon the King, David shared these words with his wife from 1 Kings 1:29-30:
And the king swore, saying, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, “Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,” even so will I do this day.”
Like King David, I also testify that God has redeemed my soul out of every adversity and will continue to direct my life.
I love your vision of the story. Always a wonderful teacher.