In the mornings I miss the sunrise now that it appears earlier than my commute time to work. But, it slowly catches up as the miles roll on by. It gradually uncovers the blaze of Autumn glory, a favorite Michigan time of year.

Yes, the commute is long. Even the traffic jams are annoying. But, there is a special pleasure in the show that progressively decorates my way.

Trees that once shared the color of green are now breaking out into varying shades at the other end of the color spectrum. Yellow, red and orange are the colors of the season. The brilliance is a wonder.

Racing by the colors is such a shame. Instead, I want to stop and take it all in. At the very least I slow down a little and absorb the wonder that surrounds us.

My own admiration for God’s palate of divine painting took over.  I pulled over, out of the flow of traffic. I shut down my engine, stepped out of my truck and walked up to the changing trees.

A slight breeze made the rustle of the leaves shutter in the morning light. Clouds pulled back and let the sun pour its new light and drench the shades of red, orange and yellow.  It was as if each of the trees were plugged into an electrical outlet, the brightness setting turned on high and someone flipped on the switch.

Evergreen trees provided the contrast. They almost seemed resigned to their mundane sameness while the deciduous trees took center stage. Yet, life prepared to weather a winter and other life heading into hibernation makes for a season of change.

Would the days ahead be filled with frigid cold temperatures, mounds of snow and bitterly cold winds? Perhaps the lives of animals would end in tragedy or lives of heroic humans would rescue many. Then, during the intervals in between cataclysmic events there would be time to enjoy a winter wonderland, hot cocoa and laughter around a warm fireplace.

Naked trees would send their shadows along the barren landscape until Spring arrives. These sentries fill the woods and remind us of a show that they gave in splendid fashion. The Autumn applause of what has been, what will be and most importantly what is now is an invitation to enjoy today, the present as a special gift from our Creator.

photo credit: Bruce Fong Photography