Fade as a Leaf

. . . and we all do fade as a leaf; . . ." Isaiah 64:6

The air is full of hints of grief,
Strange voices touched with pain,
the pathos of the falling leaf,
The rustling of the rain. - Anonymous

the burden of every sound we hear, the moral of every sight we see, is the old, old truth, which finds a ready response in every human bosom. Numerous have been the times we have heard these words quoted from the pulpit, but from one with a doleful tone in his voice, leaving us with a feeling of sadness when the leaves begin to fall and the summer roses fade. "We all do fade as a leaf."

That is the great commonplace of the world. It is so trite and true that it has lost in a great measure the power of truth; and therefore God is annually illuminating it to us by the many colored lights of autumn, and investing it, by the aid of Nature's touching pictures, with new power and impressiveness. Every year, at the fall of the leaf, He is spreading before us a great parable, in which our decay and death are represented." - Hugh Macmillan (from Thoughts for the Thoughtful).

But how does the leave in autumn fade? It is true that certain trees renew in their autumn foliage the same color that marked them in their budding time of spring, but with fuller, brighter hues. Nature does not die drably! She puts on her most gorgeous roes in autumn and dies gloriously. She goes down with her gay banners waving, smiles back at us as she leaves us. God speaks to His own comforting messages at all season and at all times.

Why should we have a dread of the transition? God has made the "valley of the shadow" as beautiful as the daybreak. In Charles Kingsley's last hour he was heard to whisper, "How beautiful is God."

If peace be in the heart
The wildest winter storm is filled with beauty
The very trees and stones, all catch a ray of glory
If peace be in the heart.

He gave us the secret of victory. It is the peace of God passing all understanding that makes all the way long a good journey. "My peace I give to you." - Mrs. Charles E Cowman

Compiled by Mrs. Charles E Cowman, taken from, "Springs in the Valley Volume 2"