True Colors

We are at the end of Autumn in our region, a season of beauty that too quickly fades into the chilly deadness of winter. Each season has its highlights of splendor, but Autumn has a special attraction in that it displays a final burst of glory preceding a long sleep, only to awaken into the new morning of spring.

I am blessed to live in a mountainous area with so many varieties of trees, each having a leaf that turns a unique, brilliant color that blends so well with that of its neighbor. Before this seasonal show begins, the hills and mountains are carpeted with various shades of green, looking luxurious against the blue sky.

While being pleasant to the eye, the leaves are hard at work, making food for the tree. Through the process of photosynthesis the leaf gets its green color from chlorophyll. As the chlorophyll is depleted, the original colors underneath are more noticeable.

Lives are like leaves. People are initially received based upon their appearance, mannerisms and behavior. Over time, and under stress, their true colors will surface. The character reveals what the heart has hidden.
Like chlorophyll, there are times when our surface should mask what’s going on inside. The Bible says to clean yourself up, comb your hair and don’t grimace when you are fasting, because the fasting is personal between you and God. It also says that you are to consider others ahead of yourself. This means not burdening them with your problems, unless they are willing and able to listen sincerely and give good counsel.

Unlike leaves, however, most times our true colors aren’t beautiful. Stress can bring to the surface what is building up inside, be it hurt or anger, sadness or depression. Sometimes we feel proud or vindicated when we read someone a certain way, then their true colors reveal that we were right. The better way would be to love the person, even though our suspicions were justly founded. To be sure, suspicions are better left unsaid to start with.

God knows our makeup. He also knows our cover-ups. And his love for us is unchanging. His photosynthesis is the working of his Spirit. Jesus came to us in order to confirm God’s feelings for his creation, especially for those who are made in his image. God wants our true colors to be that which reflects his image, the image of a loving spirit. For this we were created.