Fall has arrived here in Michigan, as confirmed by the leaves. You can’t help but take note of their change of location and color; the summer’s canopy of green is now a carpet of red, brown, orange, and yellow. I’d like to leave the leaves where they fall, which is what happens in millions of acres of woodlands and forests. We live in civilization, however, which requires that we rake them up.

I’m tempted each year to grumble about the leaf raking; it’s a lot of work with thirty-plus trees on our acre of land. I’ve learned, however, that I need to look at the positive side of the fall season; if I don’t, I’ll be grumbling one fourth of the year! I can find things to grumble about in the other three seasons too, if I let myself. Winter? Too cold. Spring? Too wet. Summer? Too hot. See what I mean?

A couple of years ago we were traveling through Iowa to see family. We drove by a sign that identified the town of Readlyn. The sign read, "Population: 857 people and one old grump." I’m glad I don’t live in Readlyn. There are days I’d be convinced I was the one being singled out as that 858th person!

I mention the struggle with my attitude toward the fallen leaves and the grump of Readlyn because of something you said in your last letter. You indicated that this business of training to be Christ’s person can seem to be a long and grim process. Your use of the word "grim" jumped out at me. Our relationship with the Lord shouldn’t be a duty -- it should be a delight. Jesus Himself said that the burden of following Him is a light one. We are destined to have joy!

There’s a tendency to take our role and responsibility as followers of Jesus Christ so seriously that we choke out the joy. It’s like people who take their sports so seriously that they forget that sports are to be fun. As followers of Jesus Christ we’ve responded to the good news that He loves us so much He died for us. We get to live with the daily reality that He came alive again and is with us. We also hold to the self-esteem building truth that He enables us to be who He calls us to be and empowers us to do what He calls us to do.

I’ve always said that I’d take up jogging if I met more smiling joggers. I wonder if the sign-up rate for following Jesus is lower than it could be for the same reason. Looking at some followers of Jesus, you’d think they had used prune juice instead of grape juice when they last took Communion.

Does this mean Christians are always happy? Not at all. Sometimes smiling or laughter is a totally inappropriate response; tears and weeping may be in order.

There is, however, a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness depends on happenings. Joy depends on Jesus!

Sometimes life is the pits -- maybe even a whole bowl of pits! Sometimes life is a bowl of cherries. Often, life is a mixture. Picture it this way. Imagine a beautiful bowl. Whatever kind of bowl would be beautiful to you, imagine it that way. It might be an antique crystal bowl, maybe a wooden bowl finely polished on a lathe, or a ceramic bowl handmade on a potter’s wheel. Picture the bowl filled with the pitted cherries. Now picture it filled with the pits. Picture it again filled with the cherries that still have the pits in them. No matter what’s in the bowl, the bowl remains the same. Joy is like that bowl. We may not always be happy with what’s filling our lives, but we can always have the joy of a relationship with Jesus Christ that no one can take from us. Joy is in spite of....

It is Christ’s intention that we find following Him to be anything other than grim business. He doesn’t want the burdens of the day to overshadow the joy of walking with Him.

I like the answer a little boy gave when he was asked what he had learned from the sermon he had heard at church. He replied, "Jesus died so that we could have ever-laughing life." He may have heard the preacher wrong, but he had the right idea.

I’m looking out the window and watching the leaves fall. It’s as if some little boy were up in the tree making and throwing little colored paper airplanes as fast as he can. They’re adding up on the ground below. Maybe tomorrow I’ll have to get out the rake. I’ve turned over a new leaf this fall and am trying to focus on the beautiful side of this annual leaf-falling event. I wonder what that old grump in Readlyn, Iowa, thinks of this season?

A fellow seeker after truth,
Dave