Several years ago, I moved here from central Oregon. That’s a pretty scenic area, but it misses some of the things that Michigan has, like Lake Michigan—or maybe Andrews University. One thing in particular is colored leaves in the fall. That’s the time of year we’re in right now. What do you think? Has summer gone? Think so. Right now, we’re rapidly approaching the zenith of color, which makes me thankful once again that I moved here from central Oregon: Michigan has all kinds of gorgeous tree colors. Within a couple of blocks from me is a maple with the most stunning color display: green, yellow, and gold. As I was walking Rascal this morning, the sun was lighting it up magnificently. I decided to take a break from writing and take a picture or two while the leaves are still there, so I did: I didn’t want to wait for another year to do it. 

When you drive onto the University campus, have you ever noticed the sign that says “Arboretum”? That’s very well put: so many beautiful trees are all over the campus. When I was in college, I worked at the CWP (turning trees into furniture) for a couple of years, and then I worked in dorm housekeeping. If I were going to do it again, I think I’d choose to work in Grounds. 

Besides the scenic values of this area that I value so highly, one of the things that has appealed to me is the pluses that the University and PMC offer. For example: Sabbath School classes. There are so many different classes. Last Sabbath, I got introduced to one I was unaware of: the French class. This past Sabbath, they put on the fellowship dinner following the second worship. I don’t know French other than the word “Oui”, so I don’t know what all they’re saying, but I know they did a fine job with the food.

I’ve connected with three classes, all meeting in the Seminary building. The one I’m at the most frequently is the one that meets in the lower level of the building and is taught by the Seminary professors on a rotational basis. It’s a privilege to be part of it, particularly since I can learn from them without paying tuition. If you haven’t been in the class yet, you really ought to try it. Last quarter one of our teachers was the Dean of the Seminary: Dr. Moskala—who wrote the quarterly lessons on Exodus that we were studying. What an opportunity to grow!

I’ve been trying to remember where I first heard it, but I understand that the leaves that grow on trees have all those colors from day one. Why don’t we see the colors earlier? As I remember, it’s because the colors are masked by chlorophyll. In late summer and autumn, when daylight begins to shorten, the chlorophyll fades away, and then we have all those beautiful colors. 

To me, this has always been an illustration of human life. We live in such a way that when people look at us, we look one way. But then, as we age, the surface changes, and as people look, they see something entirely different. Take, for instance, a man who has been a professor whom everyone thinks a lot of. Then, the actual “them” begins to come out, and things such as perhaps having a second family somewhere else show up. So, the question I ask myself that you can ask yourself, is what are my truest colors inside? If they started showing up, would I feel bound to disappear or hide or something…or thanks to the extraordinary grace of the Savior, would I not need to hide the real me? 

A song I heard someone singing earlier today is “What can take away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” If you or I have a hidden sin problem of some kind, I invite you to join me in seeking His cleansing, so that at the end, when our truest colors come out, they’ll be colors that He wants people to see: colors that will be encouraging to others..