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Seasons Of Change God can turn any obstacle into an opportunity to show His love by Paula-Beth Toller It seems there's something special and unique about each season of the year, but fall has to be my favorite. I find it odd that I love this season so much, because it's so full of change, and I will be the first to admit that change is not something I'm too crazy about. But every time I drive or walk past a tree with those colorful leaves slowly falling, I feel as if God is sending a gift of love my way, revealing Himself to me through this season full of change. It truly is a reminder to me of how God desires to make me new and afresh as I grow in Him. But there seems to be another side to this season full of change ... Last year as the fall came to a close and winter was approaching, I took a walk in my neighborhood. I could hear the crunching of dead leaves underneath each step I made, and I noticed how bare all of the trees were around me ... all except for one little tree. This particular tree had somehow managed to hold on to all of its leaves, and as the wind blew against the tree, the leaves would shake, almost as if they were attempting to fall to the ground. It seemed odd to me that every other tree around it was bare, but even though it was the only tree left with its leaves, it was not very pretty to look at, for the leaves were all dried and dead. I decided to keep an eye on it for the rest of the winter and each day that I went outside I noticed it was still managing to hang on to every single leaf. As spring approached and all of the trees began to fill with new leaves, I noticed that this one tree had held on to every single one of its dead looking leaves. But, the leaves didn't have that same dead look to them anymore — they were now vibrant and very much alive. It suddenly struck me how many times God desires for us to let go of our past so that He can mold us into a new creation. However, there are also times when God takes those circumstances in our lives that we would much rather forget and let go of, but instead of removing them completely, He keeps them there and turns them into something more beautiful than we ever thought possible. Just like that little tree that held on to its leaves, I think God often asks me not to be so quick to remove certain things from my life, for my God is powerful enough to turn each obstacle into an opportunity to show His love to me even more. He desires for me to seek Him through every season of life, for He is the only One who can make all things beautiful in His perfect time.