A couple of weeks ago I noticed that this rowan tree had turned a beautiful red colour. There are quite a few such trees in the area but none of any size have turned this shade of red. There are a number reasons why leaves turn such as the amount of sunlight they receive earlier in the year. But it is also known that poor soil conditions can affect the autumnal hues of leaves. It is seen that it is situated near the edge of a tarmac pavement and the road has no doubt restricted the root system, as well as the house in whose garden it is. I was brought up in Chester in the north west of England which had thick clay soils which must have been a factor as I do not remember vegetation turning red as a child. As Christians we often expect our lives to be in lush pastures beside still waters, but rarely does it stay that way for long. We find ourselves on the steep and rugged pathways. We may not enjoy it when things get difficult, or even threaten to get that way, but sometimes other people see beauty in the way we handle ourselves. If you prune a pine or fir tree in the spring then resin will ooze out producing a lovely pine smell. Likewise if you put tea into boiling water then the flavours are released. It is not that God punishes believers but he tests them. He may also be training you in a spiritual boot camp which might come as a shock to those that thought that becoming a Christian was just like living in a holiday camp. The vine-dresser prunes his vines so that they become more fruitful. Over the years I have listened to many testimonies of people who have gone through periods of various types of difficulties, sometimes a spiritual dryness, sometimes their physical circumstances, who thought they were being pretty poor examples of the Christian life. But find that others they meet are being spiritually encouraged in ways they are unaware of. Richard Taylor, the leader of the church in Cwmbran which was recently the centre of a spiritual move of God had felt so dry spiritually that he was on the point of resigning from the ministry at the very moment when the outpouring of the Spirit broke out. We have to be careful that we are not governed by our feelings or we can easily be swamped by negative ideas and emotions, but rather deeply rooted in the Word of God.
David Rose, 2014.