Autumn trees

"Autumn trees ask me not to worry.  They, like Jesus, suggest trust rather than worry.  So often in autumn I want to go lean my head against a tree and ask what it feels like to lose so much, to be so empty, so detached,...and then simply to stand and wait for God's refilling....It isn't easy.  But it's possible."  -Macrina Wiederkehr

In the fall at the base of the stem of the leaf, the abscission layer begins to close off. This is what enables the colors of the leaf to begin to show and how the tree protects itself from sap loss during the winter when light and water are in shorter supply and external conditions are harsher. But that is not all that is happening. A new leaf in the form of a terminal bud enclosed in scales develops.  It's fall's promise of new life in the spring. And in the spring those scales fall off ... leaving scars...but the new leaf was protected and it does grow. You've had to go through a harsh season of life, but God will remove the scales and redeem this season and cause you to flourish.

HT: Melissa, who shared the quote above and allows us to see her struggle and wait with her.