“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” — Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
After spending twenty‑five years in Texas, I was accustomed to fall passing almost unnoticed. I had forgotten the autumn reds, yellows, and oranges I’d known in during my younger years in Michigan.
That all changed when we moved to Kansas.
When October arrived, it was everything I had hoped for. The silver maple in our front yard stood in vibrant red. As we walked our street, shades of yellow and orange stretched out around us. God truly had taken a paintbrush to the landscape.
As beautiful as the colors are, I recently learned something that made me appreciate them even more: the color transformation actually begins long before we notice it.
As the days grow shorter and temperatures begin to cool, trees start preparing for winter. They slowly pull nutrients from its leaves and store them safely in the roots. As the green chlorophyll fades, the brilliant colors begin to shine through. What appears to be a sudden change has actually been happening beneath the surface for weeks.
Isn’t that often how God works in our lives?
There are seasons when it feels as though nothing is changing. We continue praying, waiting, trusting, and wondering if God is doing anything at all.
But just because we can’t see His work doesn’t mean He has stopped working. Often, He is strengthening our roots before He changes our circumstances.
He’s teaching us to trust before He opens the next door.
He’s preparing our hearts before He reveals the next chapter.
Sometimes we become discouraged because life doesn’t seem to be moving as quickly as we’d hoped. Yet God’s timing is never rushed. Like the trees outside my window, His preparation often happens quietly, hidden from view until the right moment.
Autumn also reminds us of another important truth: Trees don’t cling to every leaf. They are let go. Just as we often have seasons of preparation, we also have times when we need to let go.
In midlife, we may need to release old expectations, changing roles, familiar routines, or dreams that no longer fit the season we’re in. Letting go isn’t always easy, but God never asks us to release something without preparing us for the next season.
As I admire the beauty of Kansas in the fall, I’m reminded that every colorful leaf is evidence of a tree preparing for what comes next. What looks like an ending is actually part of God’s design for new growth.
Perhaps that’s true for us, too.
If you’re waiting for God to move, don’t lose heart. He may be doing His greatest work beneath the surface—strengthening your faith, preparing your heart, and quietly getting you ready for the season ahead.
Looking for weekly encouragement this season? You’ll find my article with many other Hope*Writers in the premium print version of The Hope*Writers Magazine, Fall Edition, on sale now.
Journaling Questions
- Is there an area of your life where God may be preparing you before revealing what’s next?
- What might He be asking you to release in this season?
- How have you seen God work behind the scenes in the past, even when you couldn’t recognize it at the time?
I’d love to hear what you think!