“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” – Psalms 19:1

October is upon us with its colorful array of leaves. Fall or autumn has always been my favorite season and it’s because of the beauty of the trees, leaves, blue skies, and cooler temps that we experience here in NC. It’s just so refreshing and colorful. What a perfect time it is to talk with our littles about the seasons of the year, seasons of life, and the Creator behind all of it.

The changing colors of the fall leaves are a beautiful example of design. I wrote about this last year, but my old brain had to look up the exact process again this year!- “Leaves get their green color from a pigment called chlorophyll that helps them absorb sunlight. In a process called photosynthesis, leaves use water, energy from sunlight, and carbon dioxide from the air to make a type of sugar the tree needs for food. When leaves produce this sugar, they also give off oxygen, which purifies the air we breathe….As days get shorter and temperatures cool down, the tree begins to rest. It stops making chlorophyll, and other pigments color the leaves red, orange and yellow. This is a sign that the tree is getting ready for winter (rest) and will soon drop its leaves” (Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, by Lois Ehlert).

Something that struck me when I read this process is the fact that trees REST in the winter. The changing colors of leaves are a sign that the leaves are actually dying and that the tree is going to rest during the next season of winter. This resting symbolism may be a lesson that is more needed for us as parents and grandparents, but it’s yet another example of God’s creativity and His design for both nature and humans.

As we enjoy the beauty of fall, let’s teach (with appropriate and simple vocabulary) the science behind what we see. Let’s explain what’s happening to the leaves and the trees. Let’s talk about the four seasons of the year and the rotation of the earth around the sun- the design behind our earth and the entire universe. Then, more importantly, let’s point to the designer/architect of the entire process and marvel at how all of these designs work together so perfectly!

Let’s use words and terms like God the Creator, Miracle Worker, Waymaker, Creator of the Universe, and Master Scientist that point our littles to the God of the universe. It’s easy to just say “nature”….. but do we want easy, or do we want our children to understand the truth of creation from the very start? The best place to start practicing boldness in our faith is with our own children.

Then, when the temperatures and the leaves drop, we can cuddle up with a book and a child on our laps. We can Book Time with Our Children and share the cause-and-effects behind the beauty all around us. We can remind them that the trees are now resting and that we can rest too. Yes, there is a time for every season and a Designer who planned it oh so perfectly. Everything around us in this creation points so clearly to its Creator.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”

Genesis 8:22

“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.”

 Psalm 104:19

“He appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knows its going down.”

CHILDREN’S BOOKS ABOUT CREATION

Find out more:

Crossexamined.org, Frank Turek, Christian apologetics

Dr. Frank Turek

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