[Faith-talk] {Spam?} The Leaf and the Wind

[Paul Smith]

Hello and greetings to most of you on a Thursday, except you in 
Australia and New Zealand where it's already a Friday.  I hope all of 
your day is faring well, by God's matchless grace and His providential care.

The following will be the lead article that I'll be sharing with 
listeners on the Radio Reading Network of Maryland tomorrow morning 
from 9-10 AM eastern time.  Hope you enjoy it, and when finished here 
I'll share my thoughts about this fable or folktale, depending on your 
perspective.

Leaf looked out across the broad, dawn-pink sky and down over the 
beautiful spring garden.  The dewy breeze grazed it and left it 
shimmering, fluttering.  As it moved Leaf saw all the corners of the 
garden with its flowers, bushes, trees and animals.  Leaf stretched to 
catch every sight and sound.  It was a new leaf at the top of a very old tree.

Leaf adored all the elements--wind, sun and rain.  But it was in love 
with the wind.  Wind gave it the freedom of motion.  Without the breeze 
it would never have seen the world below or from side to side.  Wind 
rocked Leaf to sleep and shook it awake.  Wind made Leaf dance.

Wind whistled haunting tunes through the branches, it whispered and 
sometimes it even sang.  On many days, Wind told Leaf of the places it 
had been.  "All across the rivers and down to the sea have I been," 
whispered Wind.  On that day, Leaf could even smell the scent of the 
water and salty places of which Wind spoke.

"High up the mountain to the very door of Heaven today," Wind told, as 
the fresh clean smells settled down upon Leaf.  "I have seen where the 
blue sky ends and birds cease to wing.  I have heard the voice of Life 
itself and it is so beautiful."

Leaf shrugged with the thought of having Life speak to it as it did to 
Wind.  "When will Life speak to me?" Leaf asked Wind.

The breeze warmed as it blew over Leaf and Wind said softly, "You can 
hear Life's voice in me."

Whenever it blew past, be it a breeze or gale, the little green leaf 
waved a joyful greeting to Wind--like the hand of a happy child to a loved one.

"I will love you for all time," Wind whispered to the moving air around 
it.  "I could not be happier."

Hearing this promise Tree itself shook and emitted a deep chuckle.  "I 
am glad you are happy now," the tree said.  "Enjoy your youth and 
beauty while you can, for soon enough you will be withered and brown, 
dry as dust and blown away by the same breeze that stirs your heart today."

Leaf stiffened at these words.  The other leaves said nothing.  One or 
two fell like tears before their time, so stricken were they by the sadness.

"That is not so!" Leaf cried.

Tree shook again and said, "Oh, but it is true.  I have seen many, many 
leaves from many trees fall and crumble.  Your time will come to curse 
the wind and the way of things.  Wind is old and you are young.  Ask 
Wind sometime."

The tree said no more.  Leaf tried not to think about what Tree had 
said.  Of course it had heard the stories of how leaves grow old and 
die, but still it would never be hateful.

That very day, Leaf made a decision.  It shouted to the world, "I will 
never hate wind.  I will not give in to fear or unhappiness."

Still, the next time Wind came to call, Leaf could not help but ask.  
"When I become old, dry and brittle will you destroy me as Tree says?" 
Leaf asked.

Wind was silent for a long moment.  "I will not destroy you, my dear 
one," Wind said.  "All earthly things grow old and dry.  That is not my doing."

Leaf was shaking and Wind could see the fear beginning to overtake 
Leaf.  Wind added, "Keep your promise not to give in to hate and sorrow 
and when the time comes for you to fall, I will be there to catch you.  
It will be a beginning and not an end for you." Again Leaf felt strong. 
"Tell me of your travels," Leaf said.  Wind spoke well into the night.

Time passed.  Leaf grew and changed.  At first it became very big and 
strong.  Then, as the air grew chill, Leaf began to take on the most 
magnificent colors.  First a yellow patch and then little patches of 
red and gold began to creep across it.

"You are most beautiful today," whispered Wind.  "I do not think that, 
of all the leaves in the world, there is one to match you."

Leaf shook a bit, knowing full well that many of the others had also 
begun to change and take on different hues.  Still, the words brought joy.

"It is the beginning of the end for you and all your kind," Tree said.  
"Soon now, oh so soon, you will be nothing but a speck in the dirt."

All the other leaves began to drop and some even tumbled from their 
homes early as the weight of that unhappy thought dragged them down to Earth.

Not Leaf.  "Words, words, words," Leaf laughed.  "You cannot harm me 
with words.  I choose to be happy with my fate.  Others choose to be 
sad.  The only one who will be sad when I am gone is you old tree and 
then who will talk to you?"

Tree shook with frustration and anger.  "You will see," Tree bellowed.  
"You will be dirt!"

As days passed Leaf began to feel thin and tired.  The bright colors 
that covered Leaf darkened to brown and Leaf knew its time grew short.  
Still, it would not be sad because each day now Wind told Leaf of the 
wonderful adventures that were to come.

Just seeing Leaf cling to happiness while all those around it fell made 
Tree angry.  One day it could stand it no more and when Wind came to 
call, Tree shook for all it was worth and Leaf snapped away from its 
branch and began to fall.

Tree watched and waited for Leaf to scream and cry, to realize what 
horror had just befallen it.  Instead Tree heard the sound of laughter.

One moment Leaf was held fast to Tree and the next it was falling, 
flipping end over end.  "I am flying!" Leaf laughed in pure joy.

"You are falling! Plunging," shouted Tree.

"I am soaring like a little bird," Leaf sang out.  "See how I do!"

Leaf felt something lift it up.  It was Wind come to keep its promise.

"I cannot take you far right now, just to rest on the ground.  No 
matter what happens, do not be afraid.  I will return for you."

Wind carried Leaf ever so gently to the ground and allowed it to rest 
there.  Leaf could feel the rumble of the roots from Tree as it laughed 
and said, "You see? Now you are ready to become like all the others.  
It is all just as I said.  Just give up now."

Leaf was not stirred to sadness by Tree's words.  It did not answer, 
but lay quietly looking up at the world.  It all looked so different 
now.  After a time, Leaf nodded off to sleep and a long time passed 
before it woke.

Instead of feeling old, stiff and papery, Leaf felt suddenly free to 
move about.  It could hear Wind singing softly through the trees and 
felt itself being lifted and spun higher and higher.

"Did I not promise all would be well?" crooned Wind.  "You have become 
the dust of the Earth, so light and so fine that I can carry you 
anywhere with me."

And so Wind did carry the dust of Leaf and scattered it over fields, 
onto the backs of birds that flew to mountains and into streams that 
lead to oceans.  Finally Wind seeded the clouds with the last few tiny 
grains that were once Leaf and Leaf came back to Earth with rains and snows.

Everywhere it fell the remains of Leaf brought it a grain of pure joy, 
a drop of hope and touch of love for wind and life.

One day in springtime Wind rustled past Tree and heard Tree telling all 
the young leaves about the Leaf that had loved the Wind and perished in 
the dirt.

Wind came back through Tree singing a breezy tune, "Listen my children, 
but not to those who tell you that your fate is in the dirt.  Listen to 
me instead.  I will tell the tale of of how you will become Heaven's 
dust.  Believe and you will never dread."

If ever you wonders which leaves listen to Wind and not Tree, look up 
on a stormy day and see which ones wave a joyous greeting and which 
fall down in sorrow.

And there you have this fable or folktale, depending on your perspective.

And now I will tell you my perspective on the whole matter.  I am Leaf, 
and you people reading these words, especially you ladies whom I've had 
the pleasure and privilege of talking to, are Wind.  I have known some 
of you for over six years, and your "winds" of encouragement have 
lifted me up during many crises, some of which you are even now not 
aware of.  For your kindness (see yesterday's article) and friendship, 
I thank you.

And that will do it for today.  Until tomorrow when, Lord willing yet 
another timely article will be posted, may the God of Abraham, Isaac 
and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these 
last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul