I was driving into work, music playing, coffee in the cupholder, mind racing with my mental checklist of what the day would – should – hold, when I saw it.
The first red tree of the season.
A vibrant burst of fire in the sea of green.
In that moment, my mind stopped. Fortunately, my car did not, and I made it to work safely. But all the things I had been thinking through – the meetings I was mentally preparing for and the never-ending to-do list I was prioritizing – stopped.
And in that calmness, I was able to listen.
Too often, we feel overwhelmed just trying to keep up.
This time of year, life often feels like it hits peak craziness. It’s a whirlwind of action, things to do, and places to be – school starting back, sports demanding time and attention, fall projects competing with the weather to be completed before winter hits. The list of obligations keeps growing, and it can feel overwhelming just to keep up.
Moments of peace and awe can seem hard to find.
Jesus says we don't need to worry about the details of life.
Matthew 6 reminds us that we don't need to stress over every detail of our lives. Matthew writes about God providing for the birds of the air and the flowers of the fields – how, if God provides for even the least of these, how much more will he provide for you and me. Right in the middle of telling us not to worry, he writes, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
It is so easy to get caught up in the mundane things of life. Those day-to-day details are necessary, but they shouldn’t be our focus.
And yet, I so often shift my priorities to focus on the details rather than on my Creator, my Savior.
The fall colors are a beautiful reminder from our Creator.
Sometimes, I need God to smack me in the face with a tree changing colors to be reminded that he is greater, that he is present, that he is the Creator of all things. His reminder that he holds his creation in his hands calms the problems of today and the worries of tomorrow.
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