Seeking an Ideal Fall, Finding Perfect Peace

Seek

I chose New England for the colors. Goldenrod, orange, maroon, fire-engine red. I drove through five states in eight days, seeking a portrait of Fall.

The Northeast delivered every hue. I ooh’d and ahh’d my way down the highways, up the mountains, and along the rivers and streams of that region with genuine appreciation for its rainbow of trees.  

Yet picturesque as my experience was, the foliage was not as full or as vibrant as the reels and photos on Instagram. 

Of course, real life is never as grand as the images on social media. But I sensed that the difference was more than filters and Photoshop. 

When I originally researched New England, I learned its Fall foliage typically peaks between late September and mid-October. Set to travel the first week of October, I figured I was good.

It was definitely good—beautiful even—but not breathtaking. According to content creators who chase Fall views and report back to the rest of us, the foliage peaked before I arrived. And as lovely as the scenery was, I couldn’t help but wonder how much more brilliant the colors may have been had I gotten there earlier.

Find

In the couple of weeks since I arrived back in the D.C. area, something has happened. Fall is making its way south on I-95. And bringing with it gold, orange, and burgundy leaves.

The trees are gorgeous. As I made my way around the Beltway, I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. I involuntarily eased my foot off the gas, suddenly in the mood for cruising. 

I don’t know if I’m stunned because the DMV’s trees are more vibrant than in years past, if their beauty is fuller because all the leaves are still clinging to the branches, or if my recent adventure deepened my appreciation.

What I do know is that it is peak Fall foliage for this region. And through no thought or planning of my own, I am here in the middle of it. 

After scrolling, driving, hiking, and even soaring through the air in a gondola trying to catch the quintessential New England Fall, I’m right on time for a perfect autumn in the DMV. What I was looking for graciously found me.

Rest

My hunt for Fall foliage is a picture of my life. 

I sometimes feel like I’m running behind. Not to dinner or a meeting, but to the next big chance or life season. I worry my life peaked—that I peaked—and somehow I missed it.

When that feeling creeps up, I try to chase it away with faith and patience. This weekend, God did the chasing for me. Not through a song or a sermon. Through leaves with colors so vibrant they had to be hand-painted by a God as caring as He is creative.

In the rustling of the leaves, God whispers: rest.

There is nothing I can do to speed things up nor slow them down. I don’t have to search and strive for the desires of my heart. God will bring them to me, in due season.