Earth's crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Small wonders of nature are everywhere. Yet these miracles are so easy to miss, especially as the pace of life speeds along. Days and weeks whirl by, and time for noticing nature's beauty slips away. What a blessing the simple life provides as you pause and pay attention to the handiwork of the creator. As you do, you awaken to the presence of God himself. You experience his fingerprint in every intricate detail, his closeness in every moment. This awareness moves you gently and naturally toward the simpler life you desire.
"I feel the delicate symmetry of a leaf", said one woman. "I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silve birch or the rough shaggy bark of a pine. I feel the delightful, velvety texture of a flower and discover its remarkable convolutions." Helen Keller, blind and leaf in early childhood, learned to use her sensitive fingers to explore nature's most intricate details. She was rewarded with a keen awareness of a magnificent creation- and a keen awareness of God's presence, too.
intoxicating fragrance of peonies and the clean scent of fresh-mown grass in spring. Delight in frilly edged butterflies lighting on daisies and waves of wheat stalks in summer.
Marvel at the kaleidoscope of colors on maple trees and spider webs bejeweled with dewdrops in autumn. Feel the icy air nip your face, and feel the lacy snowflakes melt on your tongue in winter. Revel in the wonder of creation and experience the nearness of God. Discover firsthand the words of Romans 1 :20: "Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen" (NIV).
Let each hummingbird, each tulip, each blade of green grass remind you of God's care. Let his grandeur, flung like confetti over all of heaven and earth, captivate you. And let his presence expressed so eloquently in every tiny detail, draw you into his presence and into the simpler life.
Final Thought
The intricate details of nature nourish your soul and invite you ever nearer to the Lord.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
"PSALM 19:1"
Ordinary things have great power to reveal the mysterious nearness of a caring, liberating God.
Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory 0 his name; make his praise glorious! Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power."
"PSALM 66:1-3"
What an inexpressible joy for me, to look up through the apple-blossoms and the fluttering leaves, and to see God's love there; to listen to the thrush that has built his nest among them, and to feel God's love, who cares for the birds, in every note that swells his little throat; to look beyond to the bright blue depths of the sky, and feel they are a canopy of blessing-the roof of the house of my Father.
"ELIZABETH CHARLES"
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