By Shirley Rosemarie Evans
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world
Psalm 19:1-4
There is a saying “take time to smell the roses,” and the truth is that too often life is governed by the get up and go mentality. We rush from home to work, from one assignment to the next, from day to day, often there is no letting up it’s fast-paced and relentless, bills to be paid, children to get to the next sports activity or party, the shopping to be done, the meals to cook the house to clean.
But then, there are those “special” moments or events that interrupt life and cause us to draw breath and reflect on all that is good in our lives and our world. Moments such as the cry of a newborn, we are moved to tears by the wonder of new life, we marvel at the perfection of such a tiny being, the tiny fingers and toes, the small mouth that can make such an ear-splitting sound when they require their needs to be met. Or the occasions when we are driving along, and we look up and see a sky so perfect and, like me, you just wish you could paint because this is one you would immortalise on canvas. Perhaps you have stood on the seashore and listened to the rhythmic splosh of the waves and been in awe of the power of nature that instinctively knows its boundaries. Or there are those rare occasions where you lie awake listening to the sounds of bird songs and are intrigued by the fact that every kind of bird has a song that is unique to them and how they innately know when to sing. And all of us, at some time, have observed the beauty of the sunset and perhaps you may have been fascinated by the fact that the sun never makes a mistake and forgets to shine, or the earth never stops moving so that the sun does not set.
Indeed, our lives are filled with beauty and wonder that are a manifestation of God’s grace to all mankind. The colours, the landscape, the animals, and the crowning glory of all man. All point to a gracious Father who gave us His best to enjoy. It seems to me that God has put Himself on blast, He is showing off and showing out. This is not some random cosmic accident but the design of a gracious Father who does all things well. He has created all those things that cause us to catch our breath and be in awe. God in creating such a tapestry of beauty yes wanted us to enjoy it but He also wanted us to reflect and own that He is good, and rather than just be in awe of the created things, His plan is that we would be in awe of Him as our gracious creator.
Ask: How does the beauty and wonder of nature speak to the loving-kindness of a gracious Father?
Seek: When was the last time you intentionally pressed pause on your everyday life for the sole purpose of appreciating the wonder of creation? How did that make you feel?
Knock: Spend a few moments to write a personal prayer or poem thanking a gracious Father for the beautiful gifts of nature and life all around us.
(Upper Photo by v2osk on Unsplash)
(Inner Photo by Explore with Joshua on Unsplash)
