Don’t Hang On to Your Old Leaves

by Karen S. Roberts

Can you believe this?

In our back yard is a sturdy Oak that likes to hang on to its leaves.  They are among the last to turn colors in the fall.  It is usually late November before these leaves begin to fall off in any quantity.

Eventually most of its leaves are gone, except for some old brown shriveled leaves left on some of the branches.

What surprises me is that this tree always has some old leaves remaining.  Through the blasts of wintery winds and snow, it seems to cling to its remaining leaves, not wanting to let them go. Throughout the winter we often see a few brown oak leaves fluttering down to lie on top of the snow.  Every snow storm seems to bring a few more down.

When spring rains and thunderstorms arrive, those old leaves blow like crazy, but many of them still don’t fall off.

Even more amazing to me is what I see when I look up into that tree in the summer.  The thick green foliage and developing acorns are beautiful.  But among the lush greenery, I notice a few old brown leaves that never fell from the tree.

So now it is the middle of September.  I took this photo today, for I think you might have a hard time believing that any of last year’s leaves are still on that tree.  The green leaves don’t appear as fresh as they did a month ago, but they are still pretty.  But those old brown shrivels are ugly. There are clusters of them here and there on various branches, most of them hidden by this year’s leaves.

What do you mean –  I have old leaves in my life?

How often do we cling to old dead things, not wanting to let them go?  Even when Jesus brings us the newness of His abundant life, are we still holding on to little stumbling stones from our past?

An old leaf might be an old habit that bogs us down.  Maybe it’s a traditional way of doing something, and we don’t want to try a new way.  Perhaps it’s a lie that we have been believing about ourselves or someone else.  Or maybe there is a lack of forgiveness due to some hurt in the past.  It might even be our own stubbornness.

We may be experiencing God’s presence in new ways and seeing answers to prayer.  But if we sense that we are being held back from entering into God’s perfect plan for us, it may be that we are clinging to something old that we need to release.  We might not even realize that we have dead leaves in our lives.

Romans 12:2 lets us know that a renewing of our minds needs to take place.
    And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  NKJV

This takes place as we read God’s Word, receive teaching of the Word from others, and ask the Holy Spirit to make us new.  He changes the way we think.  Replaying in our minds old disappointments, arguments, hurts, negativity, and rejection, instead of focusing our thoughts on Christ and his love, holds us back from being renewed.

The results of letting go of our old self and allowing God to make us into a new person brings a sense of joy, peace, and love.  Letting our minds be full of thoughts of Jesus creates new responses within as we face the trials of life.

So let’s shed those old leaves.  (No, I’m not planning to climb the Oak tree to knock down old leaves.)

I don’t want to be like that tree in my yard with the crinkled brown shrivels showing up among the brilliant colors that are about to appear as we move into autumn.  I don’t want anything to hinder God’s work in my life.  How about you?

 

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