Navigating Life: Finding Rest and Beauty in Nature
There is something very soothing about being outside this time of year. The air smells sweet and the earth has come alive in green foliage sprinkled with yellow, red, and purple flowers. And yet, we are often impervious to and unaware of the beauty that is all around us. I regret how much natural beauty I passed by because my attention was rigidly fixed on things to do, meetings to attend, even events to attend or shows to watch.
I’m increasingly convinced that successfully navigating through life includes making purposeful choices to step away from media (and other artificial stimuli) and step into nature on a regular basis.
In a world that sometimes feels crippling and uncertain, there is great peace to be discovered in the serenity of God’s creation all around us.
In the midst of my wife’s health journey last year, we drove to a place called Hawk’s Ridge near Duluth, Minnesota. There we gazed in awe as magnificent birds circled the sky above, flanked by golden autumn hills and a deep blue Lake Superior far below us. It was not only memorable but also healing and nurturing to our souls.
Earlier this month we walked in a nature area only minutes from downtown Minneapolis, where newly budding flowers and singing frogs welcomed us along with a red-headed woodpecker and other warblers. I could feel my body relaxing as we walked the paths and took in the sights and sounds.
You don’t have to go far to experience the peace that God’s creation can bring. I was recently told that walking barefooted in the lawn can be helpful in calming our body and relieving stress.
Nature, even with its imperfections, gives us hints of God’s creativity and beauty. The vast illuminated night sky, the majestic oceans and mountains, even the iridescent hummingbird are evidence of God’s fingerprints in our life.
David, the famous songwriter and king of the Old Testament wrote Psalm 8 that encapsulates this truth:
Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens…
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what are people that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?[
You have made them[ a little lower than the angels
and crowned them[ with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth! (From Psalm 8)
Notice that God has made us caretakers of His creation, to not only to enjoy but to also wisely guard and protect it. As we immerse ourselves in the beauty of the earth, we can also grow in our love and stewardship of it, for God’s honor.
I wrote and recorded the song “The Nature of You” based on Psalm 8 that was made into a video by a great video producer. Here is the link that I hope inspires you to step away from the chaos and into God’s creation, if only for a while.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhktL96Xmfc
God has given us hints of his eternal beauty in the landscapes, creatures, and colors that surround us. I encourage you to soak it in as you seek God’s peace.
God bless you!
Chris Atkins