God of the Colors

God of the Colors

by Wayne Everett Harris

October is awesome! God goes all out and paints the mountains of Western North Carolina. I suppose I will always lose my breath when I see the Blue Ridge Mountains glowing with color. I never tire of the magnificence.

Thank God, I’m a country boy! A drive from Asheville to Chimney Rock does me a heap of good. As I drive around the curves, gaze at the mountains and rejoice in a mountain stream pouring over and beside huge boulders, I know there is a Creator. My God lives. His handiwork is all around. What a breath of fresh air.

He is the God of the colors. The most brilliant mind in the universe is awe-inspiring. If the mountains and streams are so striking, imagine the streets of gold in heaven. The longer I am in Christ, the more I believe He spoke it into existence. His majesty here is but a preview for the coming attraction of glory.

I am in no hurry to die, but I am not dreading death, either. If my estimation is close to how splendid it will be, it will be the thrill of all thrills, the sight of all things to see. Heaven will be no tourist attraction. It will be home!

I can visit a mountain stream near Montreat and draw in aromas I cannot find many places. The smells of autumn wake up memories of years past. Children diving in piles of leaves make me want to stop and join in.

The aroma of firewood burning in the fireplace draws me to the family room and a roomful of loved ones. Some have gone on to glory since those times. The smell and sound of crackling wood takes me there if only for a while.

In a world that seems to have gone crazy it is good to just sit back and thank God. There is so much to lead us down grateful street. Spend a little outside time and study the stars our glorious Father created. Thank You, Lord!

I am so glad that I did not know that I was supposed to whine about everything when I was growing up. I was too busy being fascinated with how God created those leaves that still delight me. I was too busy shooting baskets at Tommy’s house and dreaming of playing basketball in high school. I did not focus on how bad life was. I was too engaged in running through the woods with my dog and a BB gun for protection.

In many ways I am still that young country boy who loved watching leaves fall from the trees. I can almost hear Mom calling for me to come in and eat. I was enjoying it all so much that I gulped down my meal so I could get back out there before the night set in.

I thank God for Mrs. Rector who taught our class about wild mushrooms. I cannot explain how excited I was when I stumbled upon some awesome mushrooms while walking to the top at Mount Mitchell. Can you imagine how incredible our heavenly Father is to think about such things as mushrooms on a famous high mountain?

If you do not love God for any other reason, you ought to love Him for the colors. You can spend a lifetime racing around the globe and never find anything more profound than the simple glory of a red leaf from a tree rooted in the side of a mountain. God paints them.

A nice man explained the concept of usable space. It is another way of saying, “Let’s flatten that mountain so we can build some more buildings on it.” I’ll take a hillside of mountains over a fancy house any day. I suppose that is the country in me.

Brad Pitt was talking about his love of buildings in the city. Take me to the top of Mount Pisgah and I will relish that view. Watch me smile as I look up into the Carolina blue sky. You will see a rejoicing soul if you catch me under the canopy of the Pisgah’s picturesque leaves.

Thank You, Lord!

Let me hear from you. My email is: weharris44@hotmail.com and my website is www.achieve4him.com