God’s paintbrush is absolutely amazing

I must admit that I’m a creature of habit.

I usually get up at the same time every morning, go through my morning routine and have a couple cups of coffee and get ready for work (although as you know, many people say that ministers only work one hour a week). Then I usually travel my usual route down Westwood Boulevard, then to Harper Street and to my office.

One cannot help as traveling to say that, as Julie Andrews sang in The Sound of Music, “The hills are alive with color” Or did she say “sound of music?” Wink.

As I said, I’m a creature of habit. I guess what I’m saying is I really didn’t pay much attention to the trees before God began painting the hills with colors.

We often make trips to St. Louis to see the other baseball team that our state has and I noticed in mid-September the definition of the mountains as we traveled. Perhaps because of the drier weather, the trees were beginning to turn and perhaps even die in some cases.

But I noticed them as we traveled.

One day, they were green — then the next they were painted in oranges, yellows, yellow-greens, browns and reds and every shade in between.

I am imagine they are oak trees, sweet gum trees, hickory trees — and our city’s namesake — the famous poplar tree.

What also amazes me is that one tree will have just a hint of color at the top and the tree next to it will be fully bursting and all the colors.

In our church’s yard, there is a lone poplar tree about five feet tall bursting forth its fall colors against several mighty oak trees.

In my yard I have a white swamp oak which drops a gazillion tiny leaves and a sweet gum tree that seems to be the last in the neighborhood to change color and drop its leaves along with the gum balls.

When I was young, we made Christmas ornaments from the gum balls to hang on our wild cedar tree that my dad cut from our pasture.

I also have a hedge row of what I call Burning Bushes-Fire Bushes that are a deep fire red every year.

As the writer of the scriptures reminds us about the creation, “Everything on earth, join in and praise the Eternal; sea monsters and creatures of the deep, Lightning and hail, snow and foggy mists, violent winds all respond to His command. Mountains and hills, fruit trees and cedar forests, all you animals both wild and tame, reptiles and birds who take flight: praise the Lord. All kings and all nations, princes and all judges of the earth.” (Psalm 148:7-11)

We only have to look around as we travel to see some of the most beautiful mountains in the world, the Ozarks. Escaping to them is a joyful experience — and when I go to Shannon County, my cell phone is quiet!

It can be alone as we drive or in company with others, whether for an hour, a day or an extended period. The mountains and hills touch us deeply in indescribable ways.

Even Jesus, who was with God when he created those mountains, was able to use them as a place of renewal and connection with his Father.

Once or twice, Jesus taught about God’s kingdom from a hillside as the crowds listened and learned about God’s love.

But suddenly, just as the wind and rain came, the colors of the leaves vanished from the trees.

Sometimes just taking the time to notice what is right in front of us can relax the heart and soul all in one breath, just as the writer of Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us about all of life, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”

That made me think we often go through life not appreciating just a simple things of the creation.

May we all pause and enjoy God’s paint brush as we travel the highways and byways on our way to work or recreation.

Rev. Frank Chlastak began work as senior minister of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Poplar Bluff on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015. He is a graduate of Northeast Louisiana University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and has served congregations of the Christian Church in Louisiana, Arkansas, Virginia, Oklahoma and Missouri. He believes that God’s love in Christ extends to all people, and that ours should also.