Feed my sheep

Over the weekend, most of the leaves on the tree outside my office window disappeared from the limbs. A couple of weeks ago they were vibrant and green. Last week they were gold and red. Then, while I wasn’t looking, they dried up and withered away to crumble into dust and return to the soil. According to God’s plan, they will a soul that does not wither.

When a leaf disintegrates, it is gone. The human soul does not disintegrate—only the husk within which it lives while it performs the duties assigned to it by God. Nevertheless, if you do your duties well, you will nurture the spirits of the souls that follow you through a lifetime on this earth as surely as the dust of fallen leaves nourishes the leaves of the coming year. The question for you as your autumn approaches is whether or not you are nourishing the sprits of others. Jesus said to Peter, “Feed my sheep.” This is our duty as well.