Do you remember when you were a kid and you would crouch down to get a closer look at something that caught your eye? Or maybe you now have kids of your own and they are always slowing you down by stopping to look, pick something up, touch something you were passing by.
The photo above is a picture my husband took in our backyard in Phoenix, Arizona. If I remember correctly, the sprinklers had just turned off and my hubby was playing around with his camera.
Somehow he noticed how these flowers were holding the water drops like precious gifts. He zoomed in and caught this amazing picture.
Just the other day, as I was talking to a neighbor near our home in Jacksonville, Florida, for some reason I looked down by my foot, and saw this:
We have pine trees in our neighborhood, so it’s not unusual to find all kinds of pine tree debris around our home. But, this piece looked like it had a flower popping out of it. I stopped talking to my neighbor and crouched down…I couldn’t resist it.
By golly, it was a little wooden flower. I don’t think this picture captures its incredible detail, but I had to zoom in to show you:
It struck me so strongly in that moment that we are surrounded. Completely and utterly surrounded by the glory of God. We can see our God every day when we step outside. All we need to do is take the time to stop and look.
This little piece of debris in the yard contained intricate carvings of beauty. Perhaps scientists could explain my little flower, but I would slap my hands over my ears, squinch my eyes shut tight, and start humming loudly!
I think the enemy would like nothing better than for us to believe that there are scientific explanations for the wonders of nature. I choose to believe otherwise.
When I see something in nature that moves me deep down in my soul and spirit, and then captures my mind and makes me stare in wonder, I know that God just spoke to me. The Creator opened my eyes to see His gift, His glory, His intricate care.
I searched the Scriptures for an explanation worthy of my experience and one that would speak to you as well. Psalm 50 says:
“The Mighty One, God, the Lord has spoken, and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth.” ~Psalm 50:1-2
The Mighty One has set forth the perfection of beauty all around us. We are indeed surrounded.
If your heart is heavy today, may I encourage you to spend a few minutes outside. Take a walk. Let the Creator show you a gift of beauty to lift your head up. If you are joyful today, praise God for His glorious creativity!
3 Ideas to Surrender to the Beauty that Surrounds You:
- Leave 5 minutes early ~ walk slowly to and from your car. Walk slowly wherever you are going. Look around a bit more, look up, down by your feet, out to the side. See if God put a thing of beauty directly in your path.
- Take 5 minutes to sit outside. Listen to all the sounds. Move the chair so you face a different direction than you normally do.
- Pull up “Google” or “Bing” and type in a search for pictures of scenes that make you think “only God!” Search for pictures of mountains, wildflowers, seascapes, birds, whatever speaks to you.
What natural wonder makes you say, “Way to go, God!”?
Is there anything in nature that makes you more certain that God is the Creator of all things? What is it? Tell us, tell us!