The woods declare the Glory of God. This was the thought that came to me as I took a walk this weekend. It has been my experience that everything is a lesson but I find that nature is an exceptional teacher. Each stroll or view provides new insights into who I am and where I fit in the creation. Each meditation on the beauty in the stillness speaks volumes better than the A – Z in my old Britannica Encyclopedia.
Take a walk with me in these woods, silent except for bird and cricket song. The scent of pine occasionally breezes by. The soft floor of old leaves, moss and acorns provides a silencing of footfall and a gentle ground to stand. Some trees are so tall, high above our heads as they reach for the sunlight. Others, small and thin sit in their shadows with anticipation of growth. Some of the larger trees bear scars of natures effects, broken branches, leaning and bent in unusual growth. The sun which covers the tallest of tree tops filters down to gently touch the ground in a mosaic of light and dark. The smallest trees and bushes receiving only a small ray of the warmth. It is peaceful, it is beautiful, it is in some places rough and dark.
What did you notice or feel? I became aware of challenges. I wondered did the slow growth and protection of the small struggling trees create a stronger taller tree in the end? I think, they can’t uproot themselves to move into the sunlight so they must grow upward. I see children, ours, who struggle in shadows, I see elders, bent and scarred yet still tall and strong with the experiences of growth brought about by things they could not control. And in their lofty stance protecting the little ones. In the sunlight I felt the Creator of it all dappling down and calling each one to grow. It was then I thought, the Woods declare the Glory of God.
May today provide an awareness of God in nature and an insight into challenges.
The View From Here 