Is it Biblical to be raking the leaves out of your yard? Is it more an act of futility or a subtle sign of rebellion against God? I know some of you are reading this and wondering if I have suffered some minor brain damage or if this is one of those odd sarcastic posts that occasionally find their way to my blog. However, I think we might want to give this a little thought and see if there are lessons under the surface that we have missed before we leave the subject of leaves behind.
Leaves were designed by God to decorate trees, provide shade, and give the trees an opportunity to photosynthesize and survive. We could go into a tangent on the wonders of creation or the remarkable faith of evolutionist who believe trees and leaves came to us by random chance. For the sake of this argument we will go with the "God of all creation made trees of diverse kinds". Some of them came equipped with leaves. By the Lord's design many trees shed their leaves come fall. I have lived in the states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Kansas, Maryland, Virginia, and New York. They all have trees and leaves, admittedly some more than others. Sorry Kansas. Most of the trees drop their leaves come autumn. True, there are a few obstinate oaks that hang on to theirs until spring, but they are clearly the minority. One might ask why this is so. Some theorize that it is due to their sap retreating to the root systems when the weather turns chilly so the leaves lose their grip. Perhaps, it is to form a natural blanket to keep the roots warm. I think it may be a defense mechanism to avoid having wet snow stick to the leaves causing limbs to break off and get tangled in electric lines. I cannot think of anyone who would want their limbs to break and get zapped by electric lines. The trees are wise enough to shed their leaves and avoid the pain.
From my early years leaves were to be raked and carted away to be burned or dumped into the woods behind our house. I have come to question this practice. It seems to go against nature, against the divine design. I mean, God intended the leaves to fall off on purpose. They rot and add nutrients to the soil. We remove them and then add artificial fertilizer to the ground after the leaves are taken away. Leaf removal has become quite the process. We can purchase rakes, leaf blowers, nifty sweeping mechanisms to push or drag along behind a lawn tractor. Then there are the industrial strength vacuums to just suck the majestic colors into a box truck. We are conflicted as we marvel at the colors God paints across the landscapes of autumn and then gather the beauty for burning. Still, every year God grows the leaves back and then drops them in your yard. Perhaps this is an exercise in futility or going against that which is the natural order of things. I assume the leaves have value where they fall, though, as a steward of God's planet, I do bear some responsibility to the vegetation in my yard. A heavy layer of leaves could compromise the survival of my lush green crabgrass. So I have compromised by mulching leaves with my mower. True, neighbors wonder about my mowing the lawn in December; however, the leaves stay where they fall, they are just ground up to more easily return to the soil from wence they came.
I am guessing that there is a divine balance in leaf management. Left in undisturbed piles they not only rot but kill the grass under them. Left on a porch or deck they can, in time, compromise the integrity of the wood. However, investing significant time and resources for their removal does not seem to be the best answer either. I suppose it is one of those ambiguous areas of spirituality where the Scriptures leave room for differing opinions, No need to break fellowship over the doctrine of raking verses mulching.
For all our efforts to remove the leaves from our yards we may be less concerned with removing spiritual leaves from our lives. Wounds and disappointments can blow into the corners of our minds and slowly smother the very life that keeps us vibrant in our walk with the Lord. We may refuse to mulch up the thoughts that can fester into bitterness and darkness in our souls. On the other side we may spend time trying to reattach the leaves that God chose to cast off years ago. Old things are to pass away and new things will come. As painful as it might be, that can be true with relationships and dreams we once held dear. Clinging to the past can trap us in the autumns and winters of life. The God ordained spring may never be realized as the leaves of the past cover the promise of new growth. Perhaps, like leaves, we need to sort of grind up the past and allow it to improve the future. Laying aside that which drains life and absorb the nutrients that come from loss that only the Spirit of God can allow.
Life, like the trees around us, has its cycles. Times of remarkable growth, when the vision of leaves bursts forth in unexpected glory. And times of rest that comes from the shedding of those very leaves that used to fill life with meaning. For, in God's spring time, new growth will come. New visions, new dreams, new life. As the Apostle Paul told those in Philippi, "one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead" (Phil 3:13). It is hard to move forward when we are anchored to the past.
Are there some leaves in your life that need to be cast off? Some leaves that need to be mulched by the Spirit of God so new growth can come? Some past leaves, whose brilliant colors need to be released, so spring can begin? Maybe we all can benefit from the lessons of the leaves.
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