something like bright red

Independence was the air i breathed as i glided down our street on that day in early Autumn. My busy school life had just begun and I looked around at the trees that outlined my vision. I noticed that they were beginning to turn colors. One in particular caught my attention. It's giant green leaves showed no sign of change. They waved in the wind as if proudly announcing their power against the forces of nature. Each day from then i watched this tree. It was huge. It was strong. It was healthy. But, one day i happened look at it a little closer. I looked in through the green leaves and noticed something subtle, something changing. Way inside, close to the core, the leaves were bright red. These were beautiful leaves, but they weren't noticeable unless you looked closely. Every day as i came home, i noticed a few more were giving way to the change. They acted as if it was painful. As if they would rather stay strong and green through the cold winter days to come. 

I feel a little like this tree. For me, this Autumn has been a season of stark changes and subtle contrasts. It never announced it's intents of changing my life so suddenly. It never informed me that i would learn hard things and experience new feelings. It forgot to come knocking on my door to ask my permission before it stole my green, strong, normal leaves and changed them into bright, new ones. And, like the tree, it all started at the very core. I fought to be strong and not let the change peak out for the public to view, but, in time every leaf began to lose it's normal green color and start to change into a color i haven't seen or experienced before, something like bright red. 

Today, i glided down the hill towards home and once again examined my favorite tree. Now, almost every leaf is either bright red or orange or yellow. Only a few remain that have not lost all of their greenness, but even those are fading. But, these colorful leaves don't represent weakness because they couldn't stand against the change. No, they are more beautiful this way because now, their maker's strength shines through. Who else could put so many shades of colors together in one tree and not make them clash? Yes, it is more beautiful when the red shines through. 

"...My strength is made perfect in weakness." 

2 Corinthians 12:9