The Trees Are Not Afraid to Shed Their Leaves

Published: 11th of November, 2022

Faith is one of the greatest spiritual gifts that God has given us. It empowers to know that we are winning, even though it might seem like we are losing. Faith empowers us to know that we have something, even though we cannot yet see it. Faith empowers us to receive even before our desires have arrived. As it is written, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

In the autumn, the trees are not afraid to shed their leaves because they know that by doing so they will receive new leaves after the winter. And the only way for them to receive new leaves is to shed the old ones. In the same way, sometimes in life we have to part with things that were dear to us in order for God to give us greater things. And this may mean giving up a job that we were attached to, a house, apartment, or something else.

I had a similar experience in the year 2022 when I was leaving Campo Verde, Mato Grosso to go back home to Guyana. Over two years, I had furnished an apartment and built many things to make myself comfortable. It was painful to leave it all behind, but a part of me was glad because I knew I was shedding my old leaves to gain new leaves. I sold everything for less than a quarter the price, and I did so with a mix of emotional difficulty and joy.

As humans, we have a tendency to become attached to things we’ve been around for a while. But we must understand that by giving things up when God wants us to, we will clear the way for God to refresh our lives with greater things.