I will be your God through all your lifetime, yes, even when your hair is white with age.—Isaiah 46:4 (TLB)

It was a record-breaking year. The latest recorded date for the season’s first snowfall had come and gone weeks ago, but the skies remained clear and the mornings warm. Yet what I appreciated most wasn’t the mild weather. It was the leaves. Our extended Indian summer had kept the foliage on the trees long after it usually would have been swept away by blustery winds or blackened by the icy grip of an overnight frost. 

This year, every tree was clad in technicolor. The sunny yellows and ochres of the aspens and cottonwood were subtle compared to the “burning bush” reds of the maples and scrub oak. I’d never realized how many trees grew in Colorado Springs until all of them seemed to be shouting at once, “Look at me! Look at me!” 

The leaves were so breathtakingly vibrant it was easy to forget they were dying. This explosion of beauty was their fond farewell, as their time came to an end. Day after day, as I marveled at their radiant hues, I pleaded with God to make me just like them. 

I’m not quite ancient, but I’m in the waning season of my life. Unlike the trees that surround me, the red in my hair has faded and my cheeks have lost their glow. But that doesn’t mean God’s glory can’t continue to shine through my life, as He shows me how to add a bit of color to the lives of those He’s invited me to love.