Only in America do you write, “all the leaves are gone….and the sky is grey…” We live with high expectations of what we can have, should have, do have and in general are just full of ourselves. My beautiful leaves I posted a picture of just a week or so ago now lay as a fluffy blanket of colors across the front yard. I decided to go out and find some perfect leaves to do something creative with. After several minutes of swishing through them I discovered there was not a flawless leaf in the bunch. The most beautiful ones still had a small hole or tear in them. I sat in them on the porch still sifting, but realizing the beauty I beheld was composed of hundred’s of leaves of which not one was perfect

Visualize humanity as the blanket for a moment. One person with scars standing alone is not an appealing sight. Though we may appreciate some things about them or empathize with obvious concerns, we are usually not compelled to jump in and share their life. Yet that same person may stand in a group of people who overall seem connected, content, enjoying relationships and in that setting we are drawn to the group possibly not noticing any scarred among them. The concept of God being three in one is impossible for most of us to grasp, yet is clearly stated in the Bible that it is so. (If you haven’t already I highly recommend reading “The Shack”. It will jar your thinking in this matter!) My point is that we were not created to stand alone. It is in our joining that we find life-love-healing and so much more. It is in the willingness to connect the good, the bad and the ugly with others who are willing to be transparent that we blossom and grow. It was in thinking I had a job to do for God that was mine alone that crashed this planet over a year ago. Repairing my connections to God and others knowing there will always be flaws surfacing in and around us that may need attention- yet not fearing they will cause rejection- has brought healing. I left all the leaves in the yard and have asked my husband not to rake them for a few more days. I want to enjoy their beauty as they shine as a whole in the sunlight.