Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall?

This was a question that I was wondering the other day - why do leaves change color in the Fall? Lucky for me, I pondered this question out loud as I was hiking at Hanging Rock State Park with 45 international students last Saturday. After a full day of taking in the yellows, oranges, purples, and reds of a North Carolina Autumn I asked Feng why the colors were so beautiful. Feng is a Chinese student who is doing post-doctoral work in the area of biology. He shared with us, without using too much biology speak which we would not understand, that when the weather turns cold the trees essentially suck all of their sugar back into themselves and it is the sugars that give the leaves their green color. The hues of Autumn are what the leaves look like without the sugar. What a fascinating and beautiful process!

The answer I had come up with is that God is a creative God who planted beauty all throughout creation because He loves and wants us to enjoy His creation. Both answers, even if Feng doesn't know it yet, point to a brilliant and creative God, full of beauty and love.

We had a wonderful time hiking and breathing in the cool pre-hurricane air. We broke bread together and taught and learned from each other on the 2 hour van ride to and from our destination. Relationship were built and furthered, and God's glory was enjoyed. We saw the wonder of nature's color palate as a reminder of God's goodness to us before the barrenness and bite of winter head our way, only to be followed by the hope of Spring as we celebrate the new life of the resurrection.