Well the saga of disposing of my leaves continues on the McKnight Family Homestead. Yesterday will mark the 5th time I have cleared the property of these pesky critters. According to the National Forrest Service, using the formula for discovering the Leaf Area Index (LAI) of an average Oak Tree; (yes this is apparently a thing) each Oak Tree on my property has approximately 150,000 leaves. I have 14 Oak Trees… not to mention a dozen Maple, some Hickory and Locust — Oh my!
But I do think I am mostly finished now… phew! Most of our trees are bare — awaiting the spring which will bring them new life. I’ve come to the conclusion that I love those leaves in the Spring and the Summer. They provide shade for our property. They are a million shades of green adding a rich beauty to the yard, and they hide most of our neighbors from our view. Don’t get me wrong, we have nice neighbors, but the feeling of privacy is unique for a family that lived for almost 15 years in a city. But in the Fall — those leaves — really don’t like the little fellas.
Of course, I understand the cycle of the seasons… those leaves have to die so that new life can arrive in the spring. The leaves must die so that new life can come. Sounds a bit familiar to me… Paul taught, “Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.” 1 Corinthians 15:22 NLT As Christians we understand that to experience the New Life that Jesus provides we must first recognize that our spiritual condition is death apart from Him.
As we seek to follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit then points out areas of our life that we need to leave (no pun intended) behind, so that we can grow in our faith and understanding of Jesus. Paul also taught, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 NLT Jesus followers need to encourage areas of their life to “die-off” so that Christ is glorified in them.
Is it possible that I have disposed of over 2 million leaves this fall? It would appear so — and this year it has been a reminder to me that while God has done much work in my life over the years… I still have far to go. “So Lord, kill off in me whatever needs to die, so that I might fully experience the fullness of the abundant life you desire to bring!”
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