A few blocks from my house, one arm of one little tree turns red in July.

When I notice, I know fall is coming, though still far off.

In August, September, and October other trees follow suit.

How odd the change, to go from so green to so yellow and orange and red.

Yellow, a little more understandable, requires a leaf only to lose its blue, let that be soaked back up by the sky. But red? That ought to require a new leaf, because the color wheel shows no red in green.

Still, the leaf manages the extreme change so gradually, its process escapes general notice until the green leaf that sprouted last spring falls red onto the fading lawn.

And then there’s me, just a little arm on a little family tree. Who am I that God would be mindful of me?

Yet he notices and works changes in me. Changes that go against my nature, taking a soul born black, washing it in red blood, and bringing it out white on the other side.

PS – This post is part of the 31 Days of 5 Minute Free Writes challenge going on over at Creative and Free. Check out how to join us and browse the link up here. For all my posts related to this challenge, click here.