With the coming of fall and – here in Texas at least – essentially winter, trees are starting to change and drop their leaves. Last week, many trees were a variety of gorgeous colors – red, orange, and yellow. The Chinese Pistache trees seemed to be changing the fastest, putting their amazing colors on show.
Down the street from us is a row of Chinese Pistache trees. The first in the row changed quickly a few weeks ago, before the cooler temperatures really came, into oranges and reds. I joked with my husband that the tree was like that one friend you have who has that first sniff of cooler weather and starts foaming pumpkin spice latte at the mouth while all the others are like, “Yeah…we’re going to wait just a bit until it’s REALLY cooler weather and fall.”
In May 2018, my husband and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary. Traditionally, the gift during the fifth year is supposed to be wood. So my husband and I decided our “wood” gift would be a new tree for our empty front yard.
I did quite a bit of research as to the best kinds of trees for north Texas, then we went to the local nursery and toured their complex, checking out different kinds of trees. As we passed a row of red oaks, we saw one tree and it was like it had our name on it. We purchased the tree and about a week later, it was planted in our front yard.
Fast forward a few months and fall had arrived, but our tree didn’t change colors. All through the fall and winter, the leaves didn’t change colors and the leaves didn’t fall.
At first we were a little concerned that something was wrong. So my husband started to do some research. Turns out that some trees don’t lose their leaves on their own in the fall the first couple of years. In the spring, as the new buds come out, it will force the old leaves off. Sure enough, when spring came, that’s exactly what happened!
This year, it looks like a similar process will happen again and I got me thinking about change. Sometimes we fight change, fight the path that God has placed us in. Sometimes, change is scary. Sometimes it takes a little push to get us to follow the change that is set before us.
This is a great analogy to use with kids.
If your kids are anything like mine, they don’t always want to change. They don’t want to try new things. The unknown is very scary for them. They often thrive on consistency, on the known, and are happiest when they know what the outcome will be for the intended actions. So easing change, whether it’s a new home and school or just a difference in their usual routine, can be especially important in ensuring their happiness and well-being.
Using an analogy, such as trees, provides a visible example that they can relate to. They can see how the trees change. They can relate to the passing of time and you can help them recall the different changes in season. You can reassure them that the tree is still there, still standing, and that their leaves will change colors, drop, and return again next year. Using an example that they can see, touch, and remember will create the reassurance that can be shaken with change.
Trees don’t always change right away. Sometimes it takes a little pushing in the right direction to see their path and that everything will be ok. And from the change, from letting go of what they know, something new and beautiful is born, new leaves.
Even like that row of Chinese Pistache trees where the one tree changed so much faster, some of us face change with excitement and leap in with both feet. Others are a little more hesitant and need a little more certainty. Both are ok, but both grasp change and proceed forward in their time.
When we are scared of the unknown? When we are worried about new change, God is there to show us that something new and beautiful is going to come.
Each time that we are faced with change, just like how the trees learn to drop their leaves to prepare for the next season of beautiful leaves, we will learn to let go and prepare ourselves for what is planned next.