It was a gusty autumn afternoon, and the leaves had places to be. Forget lazy drifting—these were drama queens in disguise, skydiving through the air with all the urgency of latecomers at a Black Friday sale.
Some leaves were tumbling over one another in a chaotic conga line, while others flapped and flailed like kids discovering jazz hands.
One particularly ambitious leaf attempted a daring leap from the curb, only to get snagged on a rolling tire and hitch a ride down the block, clinging on as if auditioning for an action movie.
A cluster of leaves attempted to storm our front porch but were foiled by a closed door and ended up plastered against the welcome mat, forming a makeshift, crunchy welcome committee.
All the while, the wind orchestrated this leafy ballet with wild abandon, sending the autumn leaves somersaulting into gutters and providing a blanket of leaves to cover my neighbors’ lawns.
My house has one large tree, the only one in the neighborhood—so my issue with falling leaves is minor compared to what others experience.
My brother’s wife rakes their large yard to protect the pecan harvest while he remains busy coaching football. Thankfully, his team is still in the playoffs.
My ninety-four-year-old mother-in-law lives on a cul-de-sac that is mostly out of view from others. She keeps her yard looking so immaculate that one would think she catches each leaf before it hits the ground.
Raking or mulching leaves from my single tree is not hard—just a minor annoyance.
I am faced with the challenge of being a considerate neighbor to those who reside nearby. My neighbors invest significant effort into maintaining their impeccably landscaped yards. Unfortunately, fallen leaves from my property often accumulate in their well-kept lawns.
That identifies me as the Neighborhood Nuisance, the person causing inconvenience and annoyance.
What can I do to be a good neighbor?
- Do you want a good neighbor? Call State Farm for help. I cannot tell you the number of times their slogan, “Like a good neighbor, they will be there” comes up in my conversations with their less than neighborly representatives about insurance claims—not lawn care.
2. Wait for the wind to change directions. How terrible is it that I check weather forecasts to coordinate my non-raking schedule?
3. Pray for stronger wind gusts to scatter my leaves several blocks away.
4. Share with my neighbor about the fascinating aspects of how the sovereign Creator God:
- Designed Trees with unique leaf structures.
- Specifically located each tree in its special environment.
- Planned the four seasons.
- Changes the color of the leaves.
- Controls the wind’s direction and force.
- Influences the movement and fall of each leaf.
- Establishes the exact landing spot for each leaf in a manner more precise than any NASA space return.
- Does everything wise, right, and good.
- Wonders why my neighbor would complain about where the leaves fall.
- Questions why I would mess with His design.
I thought it was best to have that conversation while the song lyrics floated in the air from my headphones.
They say that all good things must end someday
Autumn leaves must fall
But don’t you know that it hurts me so
to say goodbye to you (neighbor and leaves)
Wish you didn’t have to go
No, no, no, no
However, in the chill of the moment, I chose to compose a text to my neighbor explaining my response to his dilemma.
__________________________________________________________________
Dear Neighbor,
I see you standing on your pristine lawn, brow furrowed at the golden blanket of my tree’s leaves that have, quite inexplicably, migrated to your side of the property line. Before you reach for your phone call to the Homeowners Association or assemble a leaf tribunal, allow me to offer a most reasonable explanation.
My tree is a generous soul, wishing to share its autumnal bounty with the world. But alas, I am not its only beneficiary. The real culprit here is none other than Mother Nature’s most mischievous child: the wind.
It is the wind who, with glee and no sense of property boundaries, lifted my leaves in the dead of night and deposited them like confetti at your doorstep. I assure you my weekly raking schedule was no match for her gusty ambitions.
Now, I know what you are thinking: shouldn’t I be responsible for these wayward leaves? But let us turn to the ancient wisdom of property law (and neighborhood etiquette): once a leaf detaches from its branch and takes flight, it becomes a free agent, a citizen of the world, belonging to no one, answerable to no one.
If the wind has chosen your lawn as its canvas, who am I to interfere with the artistry of nature and the sovereignty of its Creator? It is not as if I am deliberately moving all these fallen leaves into your yard, which I would if I could.
Next time my tree’s leaves end up on your property, I promise to refrain from all celebratory expressions. In the spirit of harmonious peace, would you please delete your video of me dancing around my lawn with my rake held in celebration above my head?
Rather than attributing blame, I suggest we recognize the powerful influence of the wind and consider that raking leaves may not be as essential as often assumed. It is beneficial to appreciate the natural protective and fertilizing properties of fallen leaves while collectively hoping they may all be carried further south by prevailing winds.
Blowing in the Wind,
Your loving neighbor
_________________________________________________________________________________
Do you ever do crazy things like this? I come from a long line of family members who historically draft truthful, but inappropriate, letters of protest or complaint that should never be sent to the intended recipients. Never.
Thankful to spousal editing, most are discarded in the trash. A few are kept in a desk, just in case the wind shifts.
Write it. Read it. Delete it.
For this Windy Wisdom, the decision was made to consider the #1 Textbook instead of the proposed text to my neighbor.
Autumn’s shedding leaves provide a striking metaphor for spiritual growth, symbolizing how we adapt to life’s unpredictable changes.
“Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind” (Isaiah 64:6).
This verse poetically compares human frailty and the fleeting brevity of life to autumn leaves fading and falling, blown away by the wind.
Fallen leaves drifting in the wind reflect our experience of uncertainty, loss, and change.
Just as leaves detach from their branches, there are moments in life when God calls us to let go—of comfort, expectations, or even past relationships.
A spiritual lesson contrasting the confidence of faith to “blowing in the wind” is recorded in James 1:6:
“ Be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.“
The metaphor of wind to convey instability and uncertainty effectively underscores how doubt can leave individuals feeling unsettled and without clear direction, resembling autumn leaves cast adrift by the wind.
True faith not only survives but thrives through wind-blown changes. Unexpected challenges, undesired losses, and messed-up opportunities require adaptation.
Rather than resisting these forces or finding ourselves defeated by them, the process of spiritual growth invites us to surrender anew to God’s sovereign goodness, trusting that letting go is not an end, but a transition to something new.
Through it all, God never lets us go. He always gives us strength for today and bright hope for all our tomorrows.
The journey of a leaf does not end when it falls; instead, it becomes part of the earth, nourishing new life in the seasons to come. Similarly, the changes and losses position us to be a bigger blessing to others.
Spiritual growth is not a one-size-fits-all journey, but a deeply individual process shaped by life’s unpredictable winds. Each leaf uniquely dances along its divinely designed path. When the wind blows, the person of faith grows stronger, wiser, and more compassionate toward others.
Letting go of the past and embracing what lies ahead is a vital part of our spiritual journey. Rather than viewing loss or change as defeat, we can see those moments as invitations to deeper trust and renewed purpose.
Press on through the seasons of life. Each chapter is entertaining in its beauty, helpful in its changes, and faith-growing in its unpredictability.
With each fallen leaf, be reminded:
- We will always face circumstances beyond our control.
- We can always find renewal during change.
- We will always become a better blessing to others when we live by faith.
Trust God in the cycles of life. Each new season is filled with beauty and blessings.
And each changing circumstance enlarges your opportunity to LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.
There is the answer to all the problems of every season of life. Love God by loving my neighbor.
I am going outside to rake the wayward leaves back into my yard. I will save the text message for another windy day.
Winter is only months away.
EYES UP!
How many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn’t see
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind
The answer is blowin’ in the wind
LOVE FIRST...LOVE MOST 