A PIECE OF MY HEART...what are the colors of the leaves?

I came across a picture the other day of our enormous tree that sits out in front of our house. The picture however, did not look like our tree. The reason was because the picture was taken last winter when the leaves had already fallen. This time of year, that tree is full of leaves and stands so strong and healthy!

Same tree, different seasons. I am reminded of a story I read recently about how we can look at things differently, depending on the season:

"There was a man who had four sons. He wanted them to learn to not judge things too quickly, so he sent them each on a quest to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. He sent his first son in the winter, his second in the spring, his third in summer and his youngest in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no – it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

After hearing all his son’s responses, the wise father replied, “Sons, you are all right — because you have each seen only one season in the tree’s life. But you cannot judge a tree, or a person, or anything else by only one season. Most things can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons have come to pass”.

This story reminds me of what Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians, chapter 4...

"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God." (1 Cor. 4:5)

We are all in different seasons with our walk with the Lord and judging others before all their leaves have blossomed is like taking God's colors out of His creation.

and this has been a piece of my heart today;