I’m not what you’d call an outdoorsy person. In fact you’d be accurate to call me an indoorsy person. No matter the season or the weather, I prefer air conditioning and carpet far more than fresh air and green grass.
But that doesn’t mean my soul doesn’t crave interactions with the outdoors. It does, but I don’t always realize it until I’m forced outside and catch an unexpected glimpse of God’s creation.
If I’m not careful, I can spend all my days with my head down — staring at a screen or the work of my hands, focused on the immediate and the urgent, ignoring what’s going on outside my reach, my home, my small world. Without realizing it, I’ve secured blinders on my face and my heart, filtering out most of the world and, as a result, most of the One who made that world.
Thank God for brilliant sunsets and blizzards and views from an airplane window. Thank God for puppies and people with different perspectives and all the big and small ways His creation breaks the monotony of the everyday and reminds me just how big this world is (and how He is infinitely bigger than that).
My husband and I have an ongoing debate. We both love the mountains and, in particular, have really enjoyed time we’ve spent in Colorado. We find the magnitude and beauty of the mountains to be breathtaking, humbling, and an undeniable testimony to God’s greatness. We find that our eyes are drawn to the natural beauty whether we’re hiking to a waterfall or driving through crowded streets. Up close or in the distance, the mountains refuse to be ignored and keep us mindful of God at all times.
The debate comes in when we imagine living near such natural beauty. If mountains were simply part of our everyday environment, would we remain so focused on their magnificence and their creator? Would we be able to maintain a posture of wonder and worship, or would we eventually put the blinders back on?
One of us (hint: it’s me) insists that I would never tire of gazing at the mountains in gratitude and awe. I can’t imagine a world in which I don’t even notice the towering peaks and swooping valleys. Surely they would never become normal or grow old; surely I’d never stop hearing the call of nature and crave its message of God’s power and love.
Except . . . this is exactly what happens nearly every day of my life. I stop to breathe in the fresh air. I stare at the bright pinks and oranges striping the sky, blinking away tears of gratitude for such a show. I smile at the calves in the field as I speed down the highway. And then I go about my life, head down, eyes back on the immediate and the urgent, forgetting once again the splendor of this world and the song it sings of God’s glory.
Can you relate? Do you find it easier to keep your head down than to look up and out at the world God created? Could you use a reminder to pause and observe the heavens and the works of God’s hands?
What a difference it might make if we regularly let nature point us to God! What a different perspective we might have when we look back at our small corner of the world after contemplating the vastness of the world He’s made!
As we move toward the time for remembering Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection, the ultimate act of love, let’s also set aside time to remember God’s creativity and power in making the world, the original act of love. After all, the world Jesus came to save had to be made first, and God decided to make it beautiful. Let’s watch the mountains point to the heavens and listen to the seas roar His name. Let’s look up and remember who He is and how powerful He is. Let’s never grow tired of hearing His creation shout the magnificence of His name.
Heavenly Father, I am in awe of You. When I see the mountains or a rushing river, a flower pushing its way out of the ground or a sunset painting the sky, I cannot deny that You are a mighty and powerful God. You are a wonderful artist, and I’m so grateful. Thank You, Lord, for giving us beauty in every corner of this planet — to enjoy but, more important, to remind us of your magnificence. Forgive me, God, for the days I never look up once, for the times I’m so focused on myself that I forget to look for You. Please keep reminding me, keep pulling my eyes up. Don’t let me get tired of or used to the wonder of You. Help me see the beauty of the world You came to save. I love You. Thank You. Amen.
Excerpt from Journey to the Cross: Forty Days to Prepare Your Heart for Easter by Mary Carver.
It’s not too late to have a meaningful Lenten season. Let us send you a FREE sampler from our Lenten devotional, Journey to the Cross! Journey to the Cross: Forty Days to Prepare Your Heart for Easter was written with women of all stages in mind so that we can all better experience the power and wonder of Easter with intentionality and depth. We hope it will bless your Lenten season.
Mary,
Our lives get so busy & noisy. Just like a gas tank that needs to be filled in order for cars to run our souls & bodies need to filled also. We need to slow down long enough to look/listen to nature. Once we do that we will almost surely be in awe of our most wonderful creative creator. I happen to live near mountains & never ever get tired of seeing snow capped top s or the hues of fall. I thank & praise God for His creation – the beautiful flowers, birds chirping, waves rolling in or out. Time to look outside the window & begin praising God.
Blessings 🙂
I used to relate very much with this!
Until I read Ann Voskamp’s 1,000 Gifts 1-1/2 years ago.
I accepted the challenge then to notice God’s gifts all around me, and have been writing them down in a notebook ever since. It changed my life and I am so thankful!!!
Being outside refreshes my soul and attitude so much. It is hard to not slow down and look up when outside. It’s the best cure for a bad attitude or anxious day. And I feel close to God outside.
This is perfect for today! We’re headed to drink in the beauty of the Grand Canyon and I never get tired of it.
We have been in lockdown much of the Pandemic.
Several times we took a drive to the ocean and were
so blessed by watching the waves, listening to the sounds,
enjoying the birds dancing on the beaches.
Now, I am isolated again due to some health challenges.
However, I try to walk in the courtyard and around the
community where we live. I notice the buds on the trees
and in the flower beds. I love listening to all the birds
chirping and flying into the trees and flowerbeds. The
sky is so blue today and cloudless. The wind blows letting
me know that it is still winter. Afterwards, I go back to our
small apartment and feel thankful for God’s creation.
Wonderful post! Living at the foot of Pikes Peak for most of my life, I can attest to the fact that I never cease being amazed by the beautiful mountains He created. I will never, ever tire of this view. Though there are days I may be less aware, the enormity of the Rockies is a continual reminder.
As a young child, I saw the beauty of nature and knew there was a creator long before I ever had a personal relationship with my Savior. We moved to the Ozark Mountain area in SW Missouri about five years ago for our retirement years. I never tire of admiring the artwork of our Lord. When we go out for a drive, my husband makes fun of the way I ooh and ahh. The sunrises and sunsets are so spectacular here!