I am always drawn to nature. I love the outdoors. I’ve been to the city plenty, even NYC, and you couldn’t pay me enough to live in any big city. I crave the natural beauty of the earth.
As we drove through the country yesterday, I just stared at all the beauty. The green of the trees, the beauty of a pasture, the glory of the sky…it’s just all so overwhelming. At one point, I even requested we drive silently, with the windows down so I could hear the birds. There’s a certain quiet you can only hear when you’re in the woods. I absolutely love it.
I’m convinced many of my favorite books were written while the writer toiled away in nature. Imagine the glorious days before phones, TV’s and internet, when people had only their imaginations and lots of space to roam. My spirit soars at the thought of it.
It’s even greater when I can take off my shoes and my feet can connect with nature. Feeling the crisp cool of a stream or walking in sand. I can’t explain it but something truly wonderful happens when we can do these things.
Do you feel this way about nature?
Nature boasts of the presence of God. He is found in these glorious spaces. It’s easier to hear His voice because there is so little distraction. It’s a rare glimpse into something more.
To me it feels like a moment to return to the Garden. The place where God came and walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. Oh, to walk with God. Literally walk with Him. Can you imagine?! I dream of it all the time.
When I go walking on our gravel roads I always invite God to be with me. I often feel His hand in mine, but I long to actually see Him and hear Him out loud.
Yes, there’s just something about nature that directs our hearts back to God. Our Creator.
Today I encourage you to reconnect with nature. Whether you step into your yard barefoot, or go to a park, or better yet, have the opportunity to wander in the woods…just get outdoors. Take a moment and close your eyes. Breathe deep and smell the world. Listen carefully. What do you hear? Can you feel Him stirring around you. Stay outside until you can feel His presence. Then listen for a while. Maybe He’d like to speak to you. Then see how this interaction transforms the day ahead. I guarantee you’re going to want to do this again.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:1-4a
365 Days in the Presence 