“The heavens declare the glory of the Lord; the skies proclaim the work of His Hands”, Psalms 19:1.

Autumn in North Carolina is my absolute favorite season. The vibrant colors of the changing leaves, the crisp air, and the Carolina blue skies provide a skyscape of beauty.

We’ve had a dry summer/fall here in NC (with the exception of the Hurricane Helene!). According to Smithsonian.com, “The best colors are produced when the weather is dry, sunny and cool“. Well, this year the colors here are spectular. How and why does this happen?

Trees that have leaves that change color in the fall are deciduous trees. Trees with needles, evergreens, stay green and continue the photosynthesis process through the winter and are called coniferous trees. So, this beautiful changing of colors happens in deciduous trees.

According to Smithsonian.com, “Much of the year, leaves are green because of the chlorophyll they use to absorb energy from sunlight during photosynthesis. The leaves convert the energy into sugars to feed the tree. As the seasons change and temperatures drop , trees get less direct sunlight. This causes chlorophyll in the leaves to break down.

This lack of chlorophyll reveals yellow and orange pigments that were in the leaves but hidden during the warmer months. Darker red leaves come from a chemical change involving sugars that can get trapped in the leaves. Trees like oaks and dogwoods are likely to reveal these vibrant reds.

A protective seal forms between leaves and their branches as the weather changes. Trees take in as many nutrients as possible from the leaves, but leaves can’t survive the winter and would make trees vulnerable to damage. So, the leaves are cut off from the fluid in the branches, they separate, and they drop to the ground.“

This just screams DESIGN, right?! This is just one small yet incredible example of God’s design over creation. This process is lovely, full of design, full of science, and is something we can use to point our littles to the CREATOR Himself. This also holds beautiful symbolism for us as believers; how new life and beauty emerges from changes/endings.

As we BOOK TIME WITH OUR KIDS, we can use children’s books to teach this process: I personally need this assistance. I just ordered a couple of sweet books that explain the process clearly and provide vibrant illustrations as well:

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, by Lois Ehlert

Leaves, by Brenna Maloney

I believe that where we need to be intentional is with providing perspective. Instead of just focusing on random beauty around us, we are called to point to The One Who created the skies, (the heavens) the trees, the leaves, and life itself. It’s our job to lead our littles in faith. This time of year, He almost makes it too easy for us by providing this changing, colorful palate of life and design.

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