Is It Worth the Struggle to Stand Out?

Autumn brims with the joy of color.

 She tosses leaves like an exuberant flower-girl at a wedding, carpeting the ground with burnished garnet, copperleaf and candleflame.

Writer Anne Lamott says that three of the most powerful prayers we can utter are Help, Thanks, and Wow.

Fall is the ultimate season for Wow.

Mike and I began this month out west for a writers retreat in Colorado Springs, then a few days in Buena Vista visiting longtime friends. When we scheduled the trip, we hoped the timing might be optimal for a sight we’ve always longed to see—Colorado’s fabled aspens at their showiest. 

Populus tremuloides in Latin. Trembling members of the poplar family.

The aspens did not disappoint.

Every turn in the road revealed groves of aspens shimmering like coins scattered by autumn’s hands. When we stopped for lunch, we perched under trees quaking in the breath of the day— each leaf a flake of sunlight spun into gold, their slender white trunks rising like sentinels among rivers of flame and shadow.

As we drove, conversation dwindled as the four of us fell silent, awed by aspens burning along the ridgelines like ochre fire licking the edges of the horizon. A mist of marigold.

Glory, we murmured.  Wow.

Aspen trees are deeply interconnected, growing from a shared root system that links entire groves together as one living organism. Each tree draws strength and nourishment from the same underground network, so when one thrives, all are sustained. What looks like a forest is actually an entire ecosystem supporting itself. The beautiful complexity of community.

But what if you’re not surrounded by groves of supportive friends and family members in this season of life?

What if you’ve taken a position on issues vitally important to you that leave you standing alone, with loved ones huddled together elsewhere in their own cluster?

You matter, my friend. Your convictions carry weight. Your individuality shines with its own singular beauty.

A lone root still anchors the soil.

In truth, we are never, ever alone.

“For the Lord your God is living among you.He is a mighty savior.” Zephaniah 3: 17 a

And when God sees you, you know what He does?

“He will take delight in you with gladness.With his love, he will calm all your fears.He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” — Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT)

To rejoice (re-joice) is to return to the source of joy.

That’s you, my friend—one in whom our Creator-God rejoices, covering you with songs in the night, His presence in the light. Perhaps you’re braced against the wind right now, maybe quaking a bit ålike those aspens.

But the God who is eternally Present knows exactly what lies before you.

“But he knows the way that I take. . .. . . and when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” — Job 23:10 (NIV)

Like that single aspen shimmering in the sunlight, you shine, too.

And do you know what?  I think I see gold.

With so much love,

Maggie

(If you'd like to see the video and photos that accompany this letter, please visit https://maggiewallemrowe.substack.com//)