How Do Plants Know It's Fall?

[Cop]

"And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body" (1 Corinthians:15:37-38).

In the fall the plants and trees of much of the Earth's northern hemisphere prepare for winter. Flowers lose their petals, and the leaves fall from trees as the air begins to become cooler. But there is far more to this change in the plants than simply a response to lower temperatures.

Many, if not most, plants measure the relative length of darkness to light in a 24-hour day to tell them to prepare for winter. In a similar way, they measure the relative length of light to darkness to tell them to prepare for spring. Other living plants seem to integrate time and temperature to prepare for the seasonal change. Apple buds, for example, need 1,000 to 1,400 hours of near-freezing temperatures before they even think about spring.

When winter finally arrives, we may wake up to what is a white and seemingly sterile world. It is then hard to believe that the plants and trees are out there sleeping while measuring time and temperature to be awake again in the spring.

It is no less a mystery to all of us that one day the dead will rise and believers will spend eternity with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Yet, life rising so gloriously out of the apparent dead of winter shows a similar power of our Creator on a smaller scale.

http://www.creationmoments.com/radio/transcripts/how-do-plants-know-its-...

[Mimi]

This is loosely related, so indulge me for a minute if you would. All around us, the trees are colorful and unbelievably beautiful. But, in fact, those leaves are dying and will soon fall to the ground. For the first time I invisioned in those colors, Adam and Eve when they saw the first leaves die. In anticipation sometimes with cameras in hand, we look forward to the beautiful fall colors. But what do they truly represent? Death, which God did not design.

   As Adam witnessed the first signs of decay in the falling leaf and in the drooping flowers, he mourned more deeply than men now mourn over their dead. The dying flowers were not so great a cause of grief, because they were more tender and delicate; but when the tall stately trees cast off their leaves to decay, it presented before him the general dissolution of beautiful nature, which God had created for the especial benefit of man.  {CC 22.3}

[JimB]

There are so many lessons in this. Thanks Mimi for that reminder. That which we call beautiful was a sign of death and decay and cause the hearts of our first parents to grieve. Sadly we are use to it and call it beauty. However, it's also a way to remind us that God will bring good out of bad if we allow Him.

Like us these plants have to die to live.

[Mimi]

Yes.

[Richard Myers]

Yet, life rising so gloriously out of the apparent dead of winter shows a similar power of our Creator on a smaller scale.

Amen, cop!! Thanks for sharing that beautiful object lesson that teaches us that soon winter will be over and a beautiful new earth will appear. And, that Christ has creative power to bring a clean thing out of an unclean thing. The "new birth" is a great miracle, a great gift offered to all who will come unto Jesus just as they are. What a God we serve!!

[Sister Dee]

I found this thought in a newsletter in my e-mail this morning, immediately thought of this topic and wanted to share it:

   Looking at the dying leaves which are so vibrant in color, I am reminded that as we die to self, God changes us to reflect the beauty of His love. God demonstrates His power and glory in all of nature and He can demonstrate that power in our life too.  (Mark Anthony)

And this lead me to remember this verse:

Psalm 116:15   Precious in the sight of the LORD [is] the death of his saints.

[Mimi]

Yes. 

[Vicki]

I've been keeping an eye on a spot of green planted in the yard in early spring - foliage that survived from a winter gift of flowers. As the weather turned noticeably cooler the last month the plant finally grew and budded. Then with the frost, the dying of tomato plants, and leaves falling from fruit trees, glorious blossoms appeared. Our last hold-out against the coming winter.

[Mimi]

WOW WEE! That thing is beautiful! You are a blest woman! 

[Sister Dee]

That is gorgeous, Vicki!  One last gift before winter sets in.   

[Richard Myers]

Beautiful!!!